Caelum: The Red Eye
by Brown Eyed Sage
Summary: Legend tells of a sword that guarantees a victory in battle. The quest to find this mythical object fell into the hands of an archaeologist and the mercenary that kidnapped her.
1. The Capture

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I've finally got this story out on the net and it took a _really_ long time to write. I thought of the idea after I played Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and, of course, I thought of the 'what if's' along with Kingdom Hearts. Originally, this was going to be just one story, but I accidentally turned it into a trilogy. I've done tremendous work of research and created concepts that you, the reader, may find interesting. Or not. (Take your pick.) I also decided on challenging myself by only using characters unique to the Kingdom Hearts universe and will not use characters from Disney or Final Fantasy (except Cid, mainly because he's everywhere.) You'll find names and references from the related films and games (can you find them all?) It was challenging to say the least, but I believe I've finally managed to use all the characters in all three stories in a way that doesn't contradict or create plot holes (but let me know if you do see any and I'll fix it right away.)

I also want to thank Halfhuman007, from DeviantArt, for being my beta reader and corrected all my mistakes.

With that, I want to go ahead with the disclaimer. I just want to state that everything that I've created in this story is entirely fiction. Using real world stories and mythologies that I do not own and each one respectfully owned by said company, author, etc.

That said, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much I had creating the concept and doing the research for it. It was a tremendous experience and I had so much fun with it.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Summary: **She was only working for the museum. Never thinking in a million years that a mercenary would kidnap her and take her on an adventure. Stuff of fiction she always thought. Only, that's exactly what happened.

* * *

−1−  
The Capture

_"__Thus have the gods spun the thread for wretched mortals: that they live in grief  
__while they themselves are without cares; for two jars stand on the floor of Zeus of the gifts  
__which he gives, one of evils and another of blessings__."_

− _Homer, The Illiad_

"A series of breaking and entering has occurred in the last week. Among the targets were the National Museums under the Smithsonian Institute all over Washington DC. Although these were thought to be robberies, none have shown signs of anything stolen. More shall be reported once information has surfaced. John−?" The TV fell silent as the word 'MUTE' flashed across the bottom of the screen. The news reporter finished giving her late night look on the matter, and the forensic reconstruction expert only shook her head.

"Signs of breaking in, but nothing stolen? That sounds a little weird, doesn't it?" Naminé asked, her long blond hair waving with every shake of her head.

"They always do when they're looking for something," the woman beside her said while still hunched over a few scattered books and papers. In her hand was a stone object that looked to be the size of a large coin. It had a picture of a woman from her head down to her shoulders on it, but the picture was cut off around the center so she couldn't tell the rest. Incomplete Greek writing surrounded the edge with rectangular holes beside each letter either and basically hid the message. The letters sort of haloed the woman, and right where the torso should be is a large diamond shaped hole. Large enough to put her hand through. Dr. Kairi Farron, archeologist, studied the picture on it with a delicate finger while writing notes at the same time.

It was the weirdest thing; it had arrived at the museum the previous day by an anonymous donor. No message, no return address, even the post mark was untraceable. Of course she should be weary, but this was something that begged for her attention. Clouding everything else.

"What if they're next target is this museum?" Naminé continued to ask, voicing out the number one worry. The statement also brought Kairi out of her thoughts.

"I wouldn't worry, the Natural History Museum _is_ the most secure building in DC," Kairi told her as if stating the fact. Naminé shrugged and let on a smile.

"That's true."

* * *

Meanwhile, a young man walked along the rooftop like he dominated the place. Clad in black and a near empty bag on his back, the man surveyed the area once more to make sure he wouldn't trip an alarm or tip off a guard. He studied the schematics long enough to memorize every nook and cranny of this huge place. He had at least seven floors of maneuvering and stealth to execute. He took out his cell phone and saw that it was two in the morning. He had to get everything right if he was going to make it out with the prize in hand.

* * *

Naminé took off her lab coat and hung it up on the nearest coat hanger while putting on her own coat. It was fairly chilly out after all. Kairi had known Naminé since she started working at the museum. She treated Kairi very warmly and the two became fast friends. After a year of working and time off, they can now say that they are best friends.

Naminé then checked the watch on her wrist and saw that it was already two in the morning.

"Gonna be all right tonight, Kairi?" she asked and Kairi nodded, not taking her eyes off the large stone coin.

"I'll be fine. If the guards don't catch the guy, the system will," she replied with a positive tone.

"See you in the morning then," Naminé replied with a slight giggle to her tone and left the room.

Kairi had been working at the museum for more than a year now. She was overwhelmed when they offered her the job. Not only was this the finest institution in the world, she got to do every-thing that she ever wanted to do and there was still so much ahead of her. She had done work concerning the mysteries of the Middle East and the ever growing puzzles of Tibet and China. And in every instance that Kairi has been given work, she goes on with it until she worked out every detail. This one was no different. Her brilliant mind could work out all that had been presented.

Not to mention the friends that she made here. They were a lot easier to make than the ones she had when she was younger. It was even better when her best friend works in the same building as her. Different department sure, but they always find ways of seeing each other, whether it be work related or just a simple lunch break.

Overall, she loved working at this place and couldn't wait for the guaranteed surprises that would land her way. So much so that she hadn't noticed that very thing.

* * *

The young man crawled slowly through the ventilation system, as to not alarm the guards on duty about his presence. He was very much like the wind... He could breeze through a job without worrying the client. This was no different. Get in, get the artifact, and get out. And since his client didn't bother to specify which museum the artifact was in, he had to break in every facility in DC. And, or course, this one was the last and most obvious. He would rather do the biggest challenge last anyway. For sport more than anything else.

And he had no doubts that he wasn't alone in this. He knew the other one sneaking around is bound to be in the lower levels. Giving the man the thrill of out-doing the other once again. Proving that he was the best in this business, and there was no way the other would take that away from him.

His pride was on the line.

* * *

"Unbelievable..." she trailed as she looked back and forth between the coin and the picture in a book she just opened. She had solved one piece of the puzzle and couldn't believe that there was a connection. But the final answer was still out of reach. She's going to have to make a call in the morning.

It was at that moment she heard a slight rattle above her. Very slight, as it was easily dismissed as the vent running, but it had a sort of a 'bang' feel to it. Like the artificial sound of thunder in those black and white cartoons. She backed away from the desk and kept her eyes trained on the vent. Then, without warning, the vent grate kicked open and fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Ahhh!" she screamed and nearly jumped five feet behind her as she watched someone come out of the ventilation and land expertly before her. From what she could tell, this person appeared to be a young man with abnormally brown spiky hair and a very well build from his skin tight black clothing. He got up slowly and looked a little surprised to see her. She got a good look at his face while her heart rate increased. It was hard and yet had a boyish charm. But his blue eyes were intense, as if telling that he wouldn't hesitate to kill.

"Great. I was actually hoping for no casualties," he said, as he reached behind him. She let out a gasp from the sight of a gun, notably with a silencer attached, which was now pointing at her. "Oh well."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, her brain now functioning and racing to work toward her salvation. "Whatever it is that you want, you won't find it without me."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. No doubt this was a pathetic attempt to stay alive.

However...

"Why is that?" he decided to humor her.

"I know everything about this museum when it comes to historical artifacts. I've been able to figure out the puzzles that came with the artifacts."

"And you're of value to me because..." he trailed, still training the gun on her. She averted her gaze to the desk she sat at before his intrusion.

"You were sent to steal that, right?" she pointed to the artifact that she was looking at as he quickly glanced at the item. He was given a description of the item and he studied it so much that he formed an image in his mind.

"Seeing as how you're not gonna live long enough to rat me out, that's a yes," he smirked.

"I've cracked the code... and if you kill me, you'll never figure it out." His eyebrow quirked again. That's a fast con like he ever saw one. But she did bring up a great point.

"And if you're bluffing?" he decided to ask. This was an attempt to stay alive after all.

"You really want to risk it?" He continued to smirk. He liked the way this girl played.

"I like a girl that can talk her way out of death," he said, the gun still on her.

"Then you're gonna love me." He didn't have time to react, as his gun was knocked out of his hand and his fingers throbbed from the pain. He looked up to find the girl with a coat rack in her hands and her eyes trained on his face.

"You're just full of surprises, huh?" He gripped his gloved hand while smirking at her.

"You never know what surprises show up!" she exclaimed while using the coat rack and expertly hit his left shin. He fell down to one knee and mentally thanked himself for the mid-calf high boots.

"You have a point. But-" He sprang up and grabbed the coat rack and twisted it around so it was sitting under her chin and her back to him. "Something tells me you're not as experienced as I am," he said in her ear. "Oof!"

She elbowed his lower abdomen and reclaimed the coat rack from his possession. She positioned it in a defensive pose and ready for whatever he was going to throw.

"Don't judge a book by its cover," she shot back and then she heard a racket from outside the door. He heard the rattle too, and already had a good idea on who's out there.

"Shit. I don't have time for this." Taking advantage of her distracted form, he ducked under the coat rack and hit the back of her neck, knocking her out instantly. Then he quickly took the bag off his back and stuffed everything that was on her desk. The papers, the books, and, of course, the artifact.

When he finished, he quickly glanced down at the unconscious girl. The person that was coming here would no doubt kill her on sight. Normally, he wouldn't give a rat's ass about what would happen to the casualties, but he considered what she said, and there was no doubt that he couldn't solve whatever puzzle she had. Letting out a frustrated groan, he slung her body over his shoulder and went to the nearest window. He looked down and saw that he was four stories up.

He grabbed the rod that was attached to his belt and pressed a button with his thumb, causing four prongs to jump out of their respective sockets to form a grappling hook. He hooked the hook on the window sill and started climbing down. All the while, making sure the girl was still knocked out and in his grip.

Not too long after, the door burst open and the man walked in. He looked around and saw no one in it, but noticed the vent grate and coat rack were still lying on the floor. He also took note of the now opened window, which he was pretty sure it was closed when he came from the street. He smirked as he pulled a silver lock behind his ear.

"Well played."

* * *

It was a dream. That's all it was. Just a dream. None of it really happened. All the actions were lucid at best. The only thing was that it _felt_ incredibly real. Her only wish now was to finish the dream and kick that kid's ass. But too late, she felt herself waking up now only to find her bed felt stiffer and the smell was a little more confined.

"Huh?" she groaned as a headache started to form, the back of her neck starting to hurt. She slowly opened her eyes to meet a cream colored ceiling and a ceiling fan. She slowly sat up and saw that she hadn't been sleeping in her own room, but the look and feel made it appear more of a hotel room. "Where am I?"

"My hotel room," a velvety voice said and it startled her. She turned to the source and saw the young man from her dream. A cold chill went down her spine as she realized that it wasn't a dream.

"You!" She bolted out of the bed and stood with her back to the wall, sending a hard glare at him.

"Relax. Everything's intact," he said. She could now see that he was sitting on a desk chair, facing the window, where he could clearly see her glare on the window's reflection. She quickly looked down and saw that she was indeed still wearing her clothes, even her lab coat. Relieved that nothing had happened and yet still angry about what happened, she shot her head up and continued to glare at the young man.

"Why am I here?" she exclaimed. He turned to face her while raising a fingerless gloved hand, motioning for her to quiet down.

"I'd advise you to keep your voice down. Never know when the walls have ears." She gave him a questioning look but continued to glare.

"Answer my question," she demanded in an even tone. He turned his attention back to the window. Darting his eyes as if he were looking for something.

"Like you said, can't solve whatever this is without you," he replied, glancing back at Kairi. He held up the stone token that she had been examining just a few hours ago. "So mind telling me what it is?"

She looked shocked at first and then put on an incredulous face.

"What's it to you?" she asked while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not me, my client. He sent me here to get this thing." She raised an eyebrow. What is he? A trained assassin? "Must be something big since my rival showed up too."

"Rival?" she questioned and he nodded.

"Yup. Why? Who knows." He got up from his seat and took a step forward to her. "Point is, you got quite a treasure on your hands."

"How do I know you're telling the truth," she asked, not really a question.

"You tell me. What's so big that I had to risk my neck getting it and you as a hostage?" Her eyes widened.

"Hostage!"

"Indoor voice." He raised his hand again to tell her to lower her voice. She took a breath and tried her best to remain calm.

"And what makes you so sure I'll help you or your client?" she asked through gritted teeth. He smirked while he took his gun out of his holster and waved it next to his head.

"Let's see... who holds the gun here?" She merely glared at him and didn't say anymore. It was enough of an answer for him. "That's better. Why don't you tell me your name?" he asked as he put his gun back.

"Why? So you can stick that gun in my face and treat me like a toy?" He liked this girl, she got things right away.

"That. And it'll make things easier between us. Y'know, without the pronouns." She only continued to glare at him. She may get things right away, but she's just as stubborn as he is. Maybe leveling with her would do the trick. "My name's Sora Villiers."

"How do I know that's your real name?" Again, he liked the way she was thinking.

"You don't. For all I know, you could be secretly working for my client's enemies." He's got her now. Although, if she lied about her name, he could just as easily look at her security card.

"Dr. Kairi Farron." He smiled down at her and had that mischievous look in his eyes.

"That's a good girl." She closed her eyes and resisting every temptation to hit the guy. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she darted them around the room and they landed on the corner desk.

"I see you took all of my research notes."

"And this." He held up the token before her. "So, mind telling me what it is?" She debated whether or not she should tell him. On the one hand, he must've been trained to catch subtle traces if she lied. On the other... well, the gun did catch her attention.

"It's only half of another artifact." She took the token from him and continued to examine the artifact. Trying to imagine she was talking to one of her colleagues at the museum.

"And where's the other?" She moved past him and sat down on the single queen sized mattress.

"In the British Museum."

"Who's that woman?" He shot out the questions.

"She could be a Goddess. Seeing as most Greek art depicts the Gods and Goddesses." Her finger traced the writing surrounding the woman. "And the writing here is not complete. The holes basically cut off the strokes of the characters and continue on to the other half of the artifact."

"So what can you make it out to be?"

"Hang on." She got up from the bed and walked over to the desk, quickly opening the book to a dog eared page. "Luckily, you also stole this book. Seeing as it has the only picture of the other half."

"Lucky me then." He walked over to her and looked over her shoulder to see the picture. All the while, he could smell the pleasant scent of her perfume. Kind of like the one his mother once wore. Not that he cared though. A minute or so went by of her darting eyes between the page and the token, getting him a little impatient. "Could you maybe, oh... I dunno, hurry it up a bit?"

"Well you did kidnap me right in the middle of my research," she said in a matter−of−fact voice. He sent her a sarcastic glare.

"Fine. Take all the time you want, it's not like we're in a hurry from my enemies." She continued to ignore him as she examined the two pieces.

"From what I can make out, it seems like a warning," she continued.

"A warning?"

"Yeah. I don't know exactly..."

"I thought you said you cracked the code."

"I figured out that these are two halves, but the picture is so small that I can't make out any of the symbols."

"The British Museum, right?" he took out his cell phone and speed dialed a particular number.

"Yeah."

"And where's that exactly?"

"In London. Wait..." Her head shot up and faced him to see the phone already was stuck to his ear.

"I need a plane to London... Got somebody to help... Right." He slid his phone closed and went straight to his bag. "Okay, time to go."

"What?" she asked as she got up from her seat.

"We got a plane to catch." She had already connected the dots before he hung up.

"Oh, no. I am not going with you to steal an artifact from that museum."

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm still not going with you."

"You're a stubborn piece of work, aren't you?" He stood an inch away from her. Towering her, but she didn't flinch. "Look, I'll be frank with you. Without you, I can't please my client. And if I can't please my client, then I have no choice but to kill you. Understand?" She shook her head disbelievingly at him.

"Are you always the lap dog?"

"Only when money is involved. So, what do you say? Not help me and die now or help me and die later?" She mentally scoffed at him, hating that he's shoving all this down her throat. Stealing was _not_ something she wanted to do. She was still young and had so many other plans she wanted to fulfill. This would bring her entire career (something that she had built up for years) to a screeching halt. Eventually crumbling down.

"Will anybody get hurt?" she asked, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Can't guarantee anything." That answer made her stomach churn. She knew the possibility was too great. Although she can't say the same for Sora (or so he calls himself.) He looked like someone who has taken a few lives. Which meant that hers would be no different. And that sent a horrifying chill down her spine. She had no choice.

"When do we leave?" she asked as he went back to packing his bag.

"Now."

"What? I don't have time to pack?"  
"Nope. The second I kidnapped you, you were put under the radar. Everything that you do has to be done in a timely manner. Everything will be provided so you won't have to complain. But, I have a feeling you will anyway."

"Well, you can at least return my lab coat." She took off her coat and Sora looked at her like she was insane. "Keep the suspicion down."

"Like hell I will." She stared at him, irritated, and rolled her eyes as she thought up a tactic.

"Fine. Fair enough. I've been known to accidentally bring home my coat. But no more than a day. So how do you think they'll react when they find out I haven't returned it?" Normally, he would've punched a guy for being a smart ass. But now, he absolutely hated that she was right. He ripped the coat from her hands and stared daggers down at her.

"I'm locking the door, and if you escape by whatever means... I will hunt for you," he growled at her and again, she didn't even flinch. He then picked up his bag, walking away and out the door, allowing the door to click locked behind him.

"Glad to know that I'm being trusted," she muttered while she started searching the room for something sharp. But by the time she searched the bathroom, she found that the entire room was picked clean. She couldn't believe it. Was this 'Sora' so paranoid that he actually got rid of everything that posed as a threat to him? Not even the hotel's soap and shampoo were present!

She let out an irritated sigh as she found that 'Sora' must've done all this while she was asleep. With that in mind, as well as the situation she was in, she went back to the desk and decided to distract herself with her research. Anything to take the anguish that was slowly clouding her mind.

* * *

It didn't take him long to return the coat as well as clean up the mess he made earlier. And in half an hour, Sora had returned to find her already sitting at the desk. Only... it looked like she fell asleep, her face lying on top of the book. He was relieved that he didn't have to go out again and try to look for her. Another quality that he liked about her, she knows when she's beaten and it didn't take much for him to see that she was a very intelligent woman. After all, she did work for one of the more world renowned institutions. She even said she was a doctor, right? Must be way up there when it came to IQ.

While watching her sleeping form, he remembered that he had to wake her up in order to catch that plane his client provided. Looks like this sleeping beauty is going to get a rude awakening. He walked over to her and was ready to tap her on the shoulder when she stirred all of a sudden. He looked down at her a little perplexed and wondered if she was a light sleeper.

"Ugh... can your pants be any louder?" she asked groggily, causing him to look taken aback. He looked down and saw the damn folded−in grappling hook, which hung loosely from his bag, was banging against his knife holster (which was hidden underneath his pants leg.)

"Well, in case you've forgotten, we have a plane to catch," he said to her as she steadily got up and started to stretch.

"Fine, we'll leave now if it'll make your trigger finger happy."

Again, he liked that she got things right away.

* * *

The sun was starting to rise by the time they arrived at the air field. A limo sat outside of the hotel building and Kairi found it very suspicious. What kind of clients did this Sora work for? The ride was silent between the two, but the tension she created from her glares were words enough. When they got out of the limo, Sora walked ahead of her, but made sure he heard her footsteps behind him as he approached the pilot. He told the pilot, Cid, that someone else was coming along and the pilot only said, by his exact words, that Sora was being 'fucking reckless.'

With that, Sora ignored him and escorted the doctor into the plane. He showed her to her seat which, unfortunately for her, was placed across from him. It was one of those private jets that had the accommodations of a five star hotel suite. Food bar, plenty of alcohol, and seats comfortable enough to sleep in. Kairi had only ever traveled in economic class, so this private jet was a first for her. Sora's clients must be very well off to afford such a thing.

"Comfortable?" She looked at him and saw that he had already taken his seat across from her. Great, now she's going to have to watch him every second of the flight.

"I'll admit, the accommodations are nice. But why does this have that whole 'evil industry' kind of feel?" She asked. Usually planes like these are owned by some top dog that secretly wants to rule the world.

"Probably because they are."

"You work for the bad guys?" she continued to ask and he just shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know if they're the bad guys or good."

"As long as they pay you, right?"

"That's right." She gave him an annoyed look.

"You _are _a lap dog." He didn't like that statement, but he ignored it none-the-less.

"It's gonna be a long ride. You should probably get some sleep." She did kind of miss her sleep last night. Not to mention that oh−so−rude awakening. But she was still suspicious of him anyway. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna pull anything. Not that I would want to anyway," he added under his breath. She still heard him.

"Fine, wake me when we arrive." She closed her eyes just when the plane started taking off. Right away, he saw signs of her starting to slip into her subconscious. Eyes under the lids moving rapidly, even breathing, head lulled on the head rest, the classic signs. But he couldn't help the one detail that he happened to notice.

_Huh, she's kinda cute when she's not talking._

Not that he cared or anything.

* * *

She hoped it was a dream. Now she knew better. The first dream she had turned out to be real. So whatever she was dreaming now, she knew to be real. That she was being whisked away to London against her will and that there was a rather handsome brunette sitting across from her. When she thought 'handsome', she thought it very loosely. Meaning that his features were pleasing to the eye. Truth be told, she thought he was more laid back than conniving. Considering his gravity defying hair style. Had he ever heard of a comb? Or shampoo for that matter? Maybe his hair is like that because he was busier with scheming than he is with appearance.

She didn't know which to categorize him.

Lazy or tactical?

"Dr. Farron? Wake up." She felt her body shake and she came to realize that she had a dreamless sleep. None-the-less, her eyes fluttered open and she saw the brunette staring down at her. Those shocking blue eyes were enough to bring her back to the conscious world. "We're landing soon."

"Already?" she asked as she rolled her shoulders back and involuntarily let out a tired moan. He didn't know why, but he thought it sounded very appealing.

"These eight hour flights are always short when you sleep through it," he replied, dismissing whatever notion he thought up.

"Do I have time to go to the bathroom before we land?"

"Go right ahead. I already went myself." That said, she got up and walked towards the lavatory, leaving him to analyze the situation in front of him. She knew the situation, she appeared to be one that understood things right away and is fairly familiar with being a hostage. Not to mention she was concerned with her well being. Understandable. She must've known right away that he could kill her at any given moment. Again, another thing he liked about her. She _knows_ that she's a hostage and that there's no way out of it. And if she tried, she's dead.

Very intelligent woman indeed.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she searched her pockets and found that they were completely empty. Her cell phone was gone! Her one chance of getting out of this was no-where in sight. She held in a groan as she slumped against the wall. _He_ must've stolen it while she was knocked out earlier. A chill ran up her spine at the thought of him feeling her body. Another reason to hate him.

She became frustrated. Not only with him, but with herself.

Why? Why did he have to come and kidnap her? Why did he want the artifact so bad? Why did he want anything to do with her? As far as she's concerned, there's nothing special about her. She had a love for history and that was it. Then she remembered something.

_She_ got herself into this. She only tried to talk him out of killing her and look what that gave her. An unauthorized trip (as far as she knew) to London to steal an artifact that was connected with the one she already had.

She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes, but she refused to shed them. Showing her weakness to this _assassin_ would be the last thing she wanted. A clear disadvantage for her. She had to stay strong for this. She had to.

She returned from the bathroom in time for the plane to land. They both looked out the window quickly and saw that the sun had already set. They promptly exited the plane and down towards another limousine that sat waiting for them.

Kairi didn't like this set up at all. Getting out of the hotel, in the limo, onto a private jet, and then to another limo to take them to another hotel. The whole thing screamed 'global takeover' if it were one. But what she hated the most was that she didn't have any choice and she couldn't do anything about it. This Sora would keep his eye on her day in and day out. And since he had her cell phone, she couldn't escape.

They eventually arrived at the hotel, ending another glaring session, and after they approached the front desk, they went up the elevator to the top floor. As soon as they stepped into the room, she saw that it was much nicer than the one in DC. Pent house, she had to guess. It would definitely fit the needs for the two as time would pass.

"Nice place," she complimented and Sora nodded beside her.

"Only the best from the Organization," he said and Kairi looked to him now.

"Organization?"

"Yup. The guys who hired me." He continued walking to look out the window, like he was expecting something. Or someone.

"So, what are you exactly? A pirate? Assassin?" She asked curiously. She never put a proper label for him.

"Mercenary," he said like it was a matter of fact. His behavior clicked in her mind. It explained everything.

"Right. Should've seen that one coming." He turned sharply to her only to glare.

"Please, don't romanticize me."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," her voice dripping with sarcasm. He only continued to glare as he walked past her towards a closed door. She guessed it might be one of the bedrooms.

"Your room is over there." He point to the other side of the living room and she looked in the direction.

"How nice that I got a room too," she noted and just when she said it, she heard a door close and she let out a 'huff' at the thought of his rudeness. "I don't care how romantic, he sure fits the profile of a mercenary," she muttered as she continued to walk towards her room and mimic his actions. Difference being that she was going to continue her research, and hopefully not have to talk to him for the rest of the night. And perhaps get a restful sleep for a change.

* * *

Thank you for reading.

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	2. The Rival

**A/N: ** is so f*ed up sometimes. In the last chapter, some punctuations marks absolutely refused to show up so I had to rework it to have that original feel. Get your shit together ! Quit replacing % with #! Anyway, that outta the way...

One week after I posted the first chapter on DA, **Magic-Fan** featured it in a DA article called Fan Art Frenzy – [Volume XIII]. How awesome is that? Seriously, I didn't expect to see something like that. I'll post the link to it on my profile.

I would also love to thank **Halfhuman007 **on DeviantArt for beta-ing this chapter. Otherwise, this chapter would have meaningless garbage that'd make no sense whatsoever.

Enjoy!

* * *

−2−  
The Rival

He had studied the schematics as soon as they were sent to his phone. Every nook and cranny now in his photographic memory. Very much like the Smithsonian, he was traversing through the air ducts. He always found it quite amazing that security never thought ahead to these tight air spaces. Big enough for a grown man to pass, but noisy enough to alarm the security. Luckily for Sora, he was just swift enough to evade capture. It wasn't an easy job, but he absolutely loved the challenge.

He found the desired grate to his left and rather than just kick it open with his steel toed boot, he reached into his deep pocket and pulled out a mini screw driver. Sora carefully fitted his hand through the grate and one by one, he took the screws out and put them in his pocket. All except the lower left screw, which left the grate hanging unceremoniously. He looked down and saw the vent was actually ten feet from the floor. Very much like the plans said. He put his feet through first and then jumped, allowing the impact to course through his body as he landed feet first.

He straightened up as he looked around and saw the many glass cases of the Greek and Roman Department, his eyes eventually landing on the one glass case that he needed. Inside was a pillar-like piece of stone with linear groves. One end a red dot at the top and the woman's hands and torso. He could already see that the two pieces would fit together perfectly.

"About time you showed up, Sora. I was getting bored." Every part of his body went stiff at the sound of the one voice he always dreaded to hear. He turned around and spotted a silver haired man in similar dark clothes to Sora, leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed. Aquamarine eyes danced with amusement to go along with a smirk on his lips. To that, Sora smirked back.

"Well, if it isn't my good buddy, Riku," he said in a teasing tone while placing his hands on his hips.

"That's in the past now," the man, named Riku, said while getting off the pillar and walking towards him. "Word is that you brought a girl with you. Never thought you were the settling down type."

He bumped Sora's shoulder as he walked by and Sora glared at him.

"If you're trying to get information out of me-"

"Nah, I already know what your type is. And it looks like we're after the same thing." He was now in front of the display case that held the second half of the piece that Kairi had. Riku turned back to him as Sora plastered on a smile.

"It's come down to this, huh," he said, not asked, as his hands fell to his sides.

"And for once, it's an object we're fighting over." Riku mimicked his actions.

"So what are we waiting for?"

"Don't think I don't know your game, Sora. The slightest rattle from those cases will set off the alarms." Sora put on a bemused look.

"Okay, you got me. But then again, you always come prepared, Riku." Riku once again mimicked his look as he reached behind him to get the gun that was tucked into his pants and pointed it at Sora's head.

"The advantages of growing up in a back water town." Sora also reached behind him to get his gun and pointed it at Riku.

"So I ask again, what are we waiting for?" Before Riku could blink, Sora moved his gun to the left and shot at the display case with the piece in it. Riku covered the left side of his face from the tiny shards of glass spraying around as the alarm started to sound. In that second, Sora ran towards him and used the glass that hit the floor to slide and kick Riku legs. He fell flat on his face and let out a yell as he felt his gun being kicked out of his hand. He quickly got onto his hands and turned his head to see that Sora was already out the door and giving him a mocking wave as he bolted out. Riku smiled as he left hearing the security coming in his direction.

"Well played. Just not well enough."

* * *

Sora slammed the door behind him as he walked into the hotel suite and saw that the sun had already risen. He didn't care much for it, only for the object that was now in his pack.

"Farron!" his yell was met with a groan.

"Geez, no need to shout." He turned rapidly around to see Kairi already in the kitchenette and preparing what appeared to be tea. She looked aggravated and once again, he ignored it as he reached into his bag and pulled out the artifact, placing it in front of her.

"Here." She looked surprisingly at him as she hadn't expected it so soon. Actually, she was hoping to convince him that she would use her connections to that museum so she could observe it without resorting to... this!

"You went out last night?" she asked and she was met with a firm nod.

"Yeah, wasn't exactly easy to get." He let out an exhausted sigh to prove his point.

"Security?"

"And my rival." She had already started observing it. Picturing in her mind what the other piece might look like. As she was translating in her head, her eyes widened when she believed she might have solved the writing.

"Oh my..." she trailed.

"What is it?" he asked as she left the room and went inside her room. He followed and saw that she was digging around until she found the first token half, settling it on top where the diamond shaped hole fit perfectly onto the torso. The statue of the woman was now holding what looked more to be a sword with a red gem on the hilt. The rectangle spaces were now filled. Kairi quickly read the writing and made a satisfied face.

"I was right, the writing is a warning."

"What's it say?" She jumped as she saw Sora was already standing right next to her. He gave her an odd look and she merely dismissed it.

"Starting here." She pointed her finger to the bottom left of the woman and dragged her finger along the line surrounding her as she spoke. "It loosely translates to: _Not knowing strength destroys oneself. However, when it is faced, do you have such strength? _And this woman, this Goddess, holding a sword... She doesn't look like Athena or Apollo. Maybe..." She put the artifact back onto the desk and searched through her mountain of notes until she found the one she was looking for. Her lips opened slightly as she found the note she was looking for, realization dawning on her. "No."

"What is it?" he asked, rather annoyed. _Just discovered a new trait about her,_ he thought.

"I-It's the... the- I can't believe this," she stammered as excitement swelled within her.

"Mind clarifying a bit here." Sora still gave her an annoyed look but she completely disregarded it as soon as she turned to face him with that excited look.

"Mr. Villiers, this is the Sword of Peleus," she said in an excited tone. He only quirked an eyebrow at her.

"The Sword of what?"

"Peleus." She went back to her work to pick up a book, turning a few pages until she found her desired page. "He was one of the Argonauts that accompanied Jason and he had this magical sword. It guarantees the wielder a victory in battle."

"Jason and the Argonauts? Isn't that fiction?" Kairi was impressed that at least this 'Sora' was in fact knowledgeable.

"Mythology and there's always a grain of truth hidden within the stories."

"So why would the Organization want with a mythical sword then..." he trailed while crossing his arms, eyebrows scrunched as if in thought.

"It may not be mythical. Mr. Villiers, this could be the real deal," she said in her still-excited voice. To that, Sora gave her an odd look. She returned it with a lifted eyebrow. "What?"

"You're acting way too comfortable for being a captive." She was taken aback at first, but then got an unsettling look.

"I don't like this either, but I have to get used to it. Right?" Once again, he liked that she got things right away.

"So why is there a woman on this thing?" he pointed to the artifact and her eyes darted back to her book.

"Lets see..." Her eyes searching the page. "She could be Thetis. Peleus' second wife."

"Second? What happened with the first?"

"She was told that he was having an affair and killed herself."

"So not much has changed, huh?" he humorously said to himself. She gave him a small glare and ultimately ignored him.

"Anyhow, Thetis and Peleus had a son together, Achilles-"

"Achilles? As in the guy with the heel?" Again he said with a humorous tone.

"The very same. But anyways, Astydameia, the woman who told his first wife about the affair, told her husband that Peleus was seducing her. So he took Peleus out on a hunting trip and hid his sword and stranded him. But he eventually got his sword back from a centaur named Chiron-"

"Okay, I find this all interesting and shit," he interrupted her and her glare hardened. "But I don't exactly have the life span to listen to all this."

"Then I'll skip to his death then. Although..." She looked somewhat indifferent and he felt the need to prod.

"Although what?"

"There are different accounts for that. One is that he was exiled and eventually died. Another is that he was reunited with Thetis and became immortal."

"Okay, let's assume the latter never happened. Looks like the sword got away from him between his exile and death."

"Might've been discovered after he died. Probably by Thetis which is why she's the one holding it." She picked up the pieces again and observed it. He looked over her shoulder and couldn't help but notice the one detail that had been bugging him.

"Wait... What's this?" He pointed to the red dot that rested on the swords hilt. She brought it closer to her face and examined it.

"Looks like a jewel. Probably the source of the sword's power."

"And this was over a thousand years ago, right?"

"Around three thousand actually. Why?" She scrutinized him as a knowing look came onto him.

"That's what the Organization is after," he said as he pointed to the red dot.

"The jewel?" she asked him, not really understanding what he meant.

"Yeah, that thing would be worth millions by now." A crest fallen feeling came over her and she managed to fight down an irritated sigh. He noticed that she no longer looked excited.

"Right. Keep forgetting that it's all for money."

"Hey, some of us have to get by somehow." He shrugged as a new thought came across her mind.

"Y'know what's bugging me now though?"

"What?" She looked down at the artifact again and traced the groves.

"The shape of this. One piece of it is shaped like a large coin, but the other is kind of like a deformed column. Not like the ones you'd find all over Athens. No bottom base or anything." She looked closely at it and examined it from top to bottom. When she looked at the flat end, she noticed something entirely off. "Mr. Villiers, look at this."

He peered over her shoulder again, his eyes landing on where she was pointing before widening. Bits of metal, that could easily be missed, were seen.

"That thing's not all stone," he added and she got excited again, completely forgetting about the jewel that sat on the hilt.

"Get me a knife," she said as he reached down to his ankle. Lifting up his pants leg he took his hunting knife out of its sheath. He straightened up and handed the handle side to her. She looked at him surprised at how large the knife really was. "I was hoping for a dinner knife, but it'll do."

She took the knife and sat down in front of the desk, setting the artifact down as she used the knife to carefully jimmy the metal piece out, careful not to break the stone piece apart as the metal started slipping out. Sora couldn't help but be impressed with her.

"You're really good at that," he said and she smiled after he said it.

"Years of practice," she stated with a prideful tone. Soon, more of the metal came out and it appeared more triangular and flat. "Looks like the column part is the only thing in concrete."

"Concrete? How do you know that?" he asked.

"The Greeks were well known for inventing concrete," she continued as the metal piece now slipped free of its sheath. As soon as it's released, Kairi examined it further. It seemed to be made of iron and shaped like a right angle triangle. She then noticed a few symbols and figured out they were more Greek writing. Going over the alphabet in her head, she was able to translate it and couldn't believe what it read. "Oh my God..."

"What is it?"

"This says 'Eris.'"

"Eris?" he questioned.

"Goddess of strife. She gets her kicks from causing trouble. As a matter of fact, she interfered with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis and spawned the Trojan War from it."

"Wow. How'd she do that?"

"She threw her Apple of Discord during the wedding because she wasn't invited."

"Again, nothing has changed," he amusingly noted. She didn't pay attention to him this time. "So what's she got to do with the sword anyway?" he asked causing her to shake her head.

"Not sure. Could be that she stole the sword after his death and hid it."

"Why though?"

"Not sure." She then flipped the triangle over to see if there was anything and sure enough, there was. "Look, more writing on the back." Now seeing more of a sentence, she quickly translated: "_Hidden with the eye_."

"And what does that mean?" Now his questions were starting to aggravate her.

"As much as I hate to repeat myself, not sure. I might need to do further research."

"Hey, use whatever you need. I brought everything you were working on." He pointed to her paper covered desk, but she could only stare incredulously at him.

"Yeah, but not on this new information. I'm gonna need to go to the library." Upon hearing that, he gave her an intense glare.

"Oh no! You are not leaving this room."

"And why not?" she argued as she got up to glare back at him.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, you're a hostage. Therefore, you can't be seen out here."

"And let me remind you that you kidnapped a scholar. Meaning I can roam around the world without any suspicion." She poked him hard on the chest and he let out a grunt.

"Okay, I give it to you there. But that museum is probably wondering where you went. There's probably a warrant out there for you by now."

"No worries." He gave her a confused look.

"Huh?"

"I called the museum while you were gone." Everything in his head snapped.

"You what?" he exclaimed, with a look that said that he couldn't believe she had done something so incredibly stupid. But she remained unfazed by it.

"Relax. I told them that I had an emergency call to London and that I had to be there immediately." He just continued to stare at her, both dumbfounded and not believing her actions.

"And they bought that?"

"Yeah." He still couldn't believe it.

"It can't be that easy..." His finger tips grazed his forehead while shaking his head.

"For me, it is. Now I'm gonna get dressed and then hit the library." He removed his fingers and for the first time saw she was only dressed in the hotel's bathrobe. He quickly looked away as the robe revealed more parts than he wanted to see. Like her long, smooth legs, and the robe exposing a bit of her chest. He flushed at the thought and, unfortunately, she took this as an insult and huffed passed him on the way to the bathroom.

"So, I take it this isn't the first time you took an 'emergency trip' then, huh?" he thought to ask anyway, using air quotes.

"Of course, I had to travel to Egypt once to identify the symbols and hieroglyphs." She closed the bathroom door behind her and he shook his head.

What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

He escorted her to the nearest (although fairly small) library. The trip was quiet for a change and he sure wasn't complaining. Mostly because he was escorting her fifteen feet behind her.

Sora had figured that she had no idea of his plan as she didn't turn around once to see if he was there. Not only that, he didn't trust her when she was away from him. For all he knew, this was an opportunity to escape. But so far, she hadn't used this to warn the 'bobbies' of the danger she was in. Probably because she knew that he was following her anyhow and didn't want to risk getting caught by him. Another thing that makes her intelligent.

He believed half of what she said about calling the museum and telling them not to worry about her. Any sane person wouldn't believe her garbage about an 'emergency call.' Must be more than what she said to gain leeway from the museum.

So now here he was. Standing across the street from the library. Making sure she doesn't escape by side or front entrance.

"A library? I thought you didn't have the sanity for that kind of place." His entire body stiffened for the second time as he heard that very familiar voice. He watched the silver haired man walk towards him and he immediately flexed his muscles for the possibility of a fight. "Relax, I'm not going to fight you in public." He did have a point. Riku wouldn't do anything so stupid as to alert the authorities with a fist fight when the two are wanted criminals. To some extent, Sora was able to relax but kept his guard up anyhow.

"What are you doing here, Riku?" he decided to ask, seeing as he didn't have time to ask that morning. But he made sure, by his tone, that he wasn't happy to see Riku.

"Business," he responded with a very simple tone as he turned his head towards the library. "She must be something for you to stake out like this."

"That's none of your business," Sora snapped at him. Riku lifted his hands to let Sora know to take it easy.

"Geez, can't we even have a friendly conversation anymore?"

"Since when have you ever been friendly?"

"Fair enough." Riku lowered his hands, looking at the library again. "So, what's she like?"

"What makes you think it's a she?" Sora gave him an incredulous look.

"Please, I broke in the other night too. From what I saw, you took somebody with you."

"So, how was jail?" Sora decided to change the subject back to him.

"Never got caught. Should've stayed to make sure security got a head start."

"Gives me something for next time," he smirked and Riku turned to leave.

"See you on the next hunt." Sora glared into Riku's back and never once noticed Kairi had already come out of the building. Suffice to say, she was very surprised to see him.

"Sora? What are you doing here?" she asked and he finally turned to see her looking shocked.

"Wanted to make sure you weren't kidnapped for the second time," he said and she let out an irritated sigh.

"Kidnapper's rights, I suppose." She rolled her eyes and thought to ask, "Who was that guy you were talking with?"

"That rival I told you about." She quirked her eyebrow; she saw how those two interacted and she would never guess that they were rivals.

"Huh. You looked more chummy than rivals."

"Probably because we were." She heard him mutter. She figured that he didn't think she could hear him. But that just caused her curiosity to peek.

"What happened?" More wondering on what happened between two friends to have it end. But she only received a hard glare from him.

"Oh no. I am not going to open up to you. The last thing I need is another set of eyes on my back." It was then that he decided to walk back to the hotel, causing her to note his stiff posture. And for that, she glared at him.

"Do you get paid for being an ass?" she asked as she finally caught up to him.

"Depends on who's hiring."

* * *

"So, what have you found out?" Sora asked as they reentered their hotel suite. She placed all the papers she had photo copied from the books she found onto the coffee table.

"Well, I tried to look up literature on Eris, the Trojan War, anything I can get my hands on. I came across this picture." She dug through the papers and pulled out a page that she needed. On it was a picture of a lion statue.

"A lion?"

"Lioness," she corrected him and he glared at her. "Thing is Thetis, Peleus' wife, was a shape shifter. She was actually forced to marry him by Zeus and she would run away a lot and transform into a bunch of things."

"Like what?"

"Anything. Fire, water, a snake, and this lioness."

"So what makes this cat any different from the others?" he asked. This statue looked too generic to be anything significant.

"Look." She pointed to the statue's collar with her index finger and he took a look at it. Sure enough, there was a pattern there. "There's a slot on its collar. Doesn't that shape look familiar?" He took a closer look and saw it was near identical to the ridge marks on the column piece.

"So that pillar thing is really a key. Gotta give those Greeks some credit. So where's this statue?"

"Someone bought it a few years ago. Luckily, he lives in Liverpool."

"Still a long drive." He took out his cell phone and speed dialed a number. He held it up to his ear and quickly got an answer. "Gonna need a ride to Liverpool." He closed his phone and turned to face Kairi. "Pack up, we're leaving."

"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered this more to herself while she placed her forehead in her hands, but Sora heard her anyway.

"Getting the idea of captive and captor situation."

"Or the mercenary life style." She lifted her head and looked at him as a thought occurred to her. "Why are you a mercenary anyway?"

"I told you, I'm not opening up to you," he shot at her and she glared right back.

"Fine. I don't want to know anyway."

* * *

"Is this the first time the Organization hired you?" Kairi asked on the train ride to Liverpool. They were halfway through the four hour trip and Sora sat across from her, making sure he didn't doze off and give her the chance to run. He now looked at her like he always did whenever she asked about him. But she gave him a knowing look. "Don't worry, this is more your job than your personal life."

He did relax, but not by a whole lot. She had a point... all he had to tell her about was the Organization.

"Yeah. Never heard of them until they called me," he told her, deciding to be informative but vague with his answers.

"So, what are they about?"

"Not sure. Said that they were collectors of rare antiques. So, they're basically richer than God."

"I see. And I imagine you're getting paid handsomely after this?"

"Let's not discuss paychecks," he said, feeling rather uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed.

"So, what are we gonna do once we hit Liverpool?" she asked him curiously. Sora was quick to answer.

"Stash you in the hotel room the Organization got us. Then tonight, I go to the old man's house and-"

"No."

"What?" he asked after she interrupted him. Seeing the stern look in her eyes, he raised an eyebrow.

"No, Mr. Villiers. I don't care how good you are at your job, you are not going to break into his house. And besides, that statue weighs like five hundred pounds. No way you could sneak out unnoticed." He gave her a frustrated glare.

"So what do you suggest we do."

"Luckily for the both of us, the 'old man', as you call him, is a friend of mine." Her eyebrows relaxed as she explained.

"So, you're gonna get us in?"

"Yeah, explain the situation to him, leave out the part about you being a mercenary, and we're golden."

"We're gonna need a good cover story though..." he muttered as thoughts of a story for the 'old man' to believe. "Will he buy the brother and sister act?"

"Not likely, he knows me too well." Sora groaned after she said it. She stared at him with confusion. "What?"

Sora stared as if expecting her to read his mind on what they had to do. But the message didn't seem to come across her, so he took a deep breath.

"If he's not going to buy the brother and sister act, that only leaves one thing." Her eyebrow still lifted, but the other soon joined as she realized what he was saying to her. At the thought, she too let out a groan.

"Do we have to?" she nearly whined and he rested his forehead into his hands.

"What other choice do we have?" he reflected her whine with his eyes, which were focused on the carpeted cabin floor.

"Fine, it's only going to be for a half an hour, one hour tops," she lamented, already seeing the end of it.

"So, who is this guy anyway?" he asked, desperate to change the subject. Kairi already jumped at that.

"He's one of the museum's biggest donors and... I should warn you." He brought his gaze back to her. "He's a _little_ eccentric."

* * *

They arrived at the apartment building the next day, after finding a hotel to spend the night. Now they were waiting patiently after Kairi rang the door bell, a ball of disgust in their throats as his hand wrapped around her waist. Seeing that this man that they were seeing knew Kairi very well, they couldn't pretend to be brother and sister. Instead, they pretended to be an item.

A couple.

Boyfriend and girlfriend.

For at least an hour.

"Kairi!" They were greeted as soon as the door opened and the old man saw her. His hair was blond, eyes, orange, a handsome beard growing around his mouth. His eyes were wise with age and a white business suit covered his body.

"Nice to see you again, Ansem," Kairi said as she slipped out of Sora's hand and hugged the old man. He hugged her back as Sora looked annoyed.

"The museum informed me that you were in London and I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to come visit," he said as he pulled out of the embrace and looked her over. When he finished, he noticed Sora for the first time. "And who is this?"

"Tidus, Kairi's boyfriend," Sora said as he stuck his hand out to the old man. Kairi lifted an eyebrow at him. Another name now?

"I see. Pleasure to meet you." Ansem shook Sora's hand as he directed his attention back to Kairi. "I didn't know you have a boyfriend now, Kairi."

"It's fairly recent," she informed him.

"Ah," he simply responded as he lead the two into his flat, sitting on the couch in the living area between him and Kairi. "And may I ask, what brought you to London in the first place?"

She hesitated at first as she went through the speech in her mind. He knew her very well and she wasn't sure if he would believe what she had to say.

"An artifact turned up at the Smithsonian and I had to travel to London to look at another piece that was in the British Museum." It was the truth. Only withholding the part about her being kidnapped.

"Then you must've heard of the robbery that happened yesterday." She mentally cursed at Sora for that one, who was now wandering around the flat, looking at every expensive item around. Another reason not to trust him.

"Yeah, rotten timing. But..." she trailed as she cast her eyes down on the floor. Ansem looked curiously at her.

"What is it?" he asked. Worried lines now added to his wise ones.

"I-It's kind of weird, but something was delivered to me just yesterday. I thought you would be interested."

"What is it?" Without another word, she reached into her bag and fished out the artifacts. As soon as Ansem saw the items, his eyes widen in surprise. "My word..."

"You have to understand though, you know me better than anyone." He looked back up at her and saw her desperate eyes. Trying so hard to make him understand the position she was in. He slowly nodded at her.

"Yes, Kairi. I understand, you have a thirst for knowledge that can't be satisfied until you gather everything. You're very much like your father." She smiled in endearment after he said that.

"Right, so I was doing research on this and-"

"The shape looks familiar..." He interrupted her as he picked up the pieced-together artifact and studied it.

"Yeah, about that-"

"Excuse me." The two were brought out of their discussion by Sora (or 'Tidus') as he stood by the statue that they saw in the book. "Where did you get this statue?"

Ansem turned around more as his back was facing towards the statue in question during his conversation with Kairi.

"Oh, I bought it at an auction. These artifacts always turn up when they show minor significance," he explained and then did a double take on it. "And I must say, the lion's collar looks like something you'd stick something in."

He turned back to Kairi as she pleaded with him with her eyes, the artifact in her hands.

"Do you mind?"

"In the pursuit of history in the making, be my guest."

She hopped out of the couch as soon as he gave her his permission and stood beside Sora at the statue. She looked at the collar very closely and traced the markings delicately. She then took the baseless end and matched the groves to it. She pushed the artifact in as hard as she could and found trouble about halfway through. Sora, seeing her struggle, placed a hand on her shoulder and his face telling her that he'd do it for her. She stepped aside for him and positioned himself to push it in. He was much stronger than her and was able to push the artifact in all the way. Kairi looked up at the head and saw that nothing was happening. She pushed Sora aside and took the round end, turning it to the right. Very much like sticking the car key in to the ignition and starting it up. It started to turn as she continued to turn it.

The sound of stone opening caught all their attention. Kairi pulled back from the collar and observed the head. She saw that the lion's mouth fell open and immediately went to look at what was inside. She stood before the head and stuck her hand inside the mouth, pulling out a square stone slab with writing all over it and was instantly fascinated by it.

"Oh my..." she trailed as she studied the slab with her eyes and fingers.

"Well, what do we have here?" Ansem asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"I'm not sure, I'm gonna need to head back to the hotel and do research. Do you mind, Ansem?" she asked, responding really fast.

"Not at all."

They walked to the front door, anxious to translate the slab. To find the hidden meaning with this new clue.

"Thank you, Ansem." She gave him a hug which he returned.

"Thank you," he said back as he let go of her. She took Sora's hand and dragged him to the door after he took the artifact out of the lion statue. "Tidus?" They both stopped as Sora turned to face him again. "You take care of her."

Sora was taken aback by the request and found his tone interesting. Like he wanted Sora to protect her. A concept that was entirely foreign to him.

"I will. Don't worry," he responded with a nod and got a chill when Ansem gave him a mischievous smile.

"And loosen up. Kairi's an energetic one." Sora's eyes widened and red stained his cheeks. He has never been in a situation this and suffice to say, Kairi was just as surprised.

"Ansem!" she exclaimed and Ansem responded with a hearty laugh.

"Have a nice stay."

* * *

"I can't believe how easy that was," Sora said as soon as they left the apartment building. A sigh of relief escaped him. He has done all sorts of jobs all over the world, some he'd rather not talk about, but, he had to admit, this had to be his toughest challenge. Luckily for him, Kairi already knew the guy. Otherwise, he'd get caught the second he snuck in to the flat.

"Not everything has to be done the hard way," she responded and he merely scoffed at her.

"Wait." He stuck his arm in front of her, stopping in their step. His eyes trained at certain spot ahead of them. "Crap. I knew this was too good to be true."

"What is it?" she asked. Then she followed his line of sight and immediately saw a speck of silver walking towards their way. The man she saw talking to Sora the previous day.

"What the hell is Riku doing here?" Sora was asking more than he was Kairi, but she heard him anyway. The urgency in his voice told her that they should steer clear of this Riku. She looked around them and a grievous thought entered her mind.

"He's coming this way. There's no where to hide."

"And if we run, he'll see u-" Before he even had time to finish the thought, Kairi grabbed his face with both her hands on his cheeks and placed her lips on his. Initial shock and every urge to push her away crossed his mind. But for some reason, he didn't. He was confused by all this and didn't know how he should react. Until he realized why she did it. Riku passed by them without a glance at the two. Riku hasn't seen Kairi yet and her hands and face were obstructing his from view.

After a few minutes that seemed like forever, she finally pulled back when she was sure that Riku was out of sight. She looked at his flushed face as he blinked his eyes open. He hadn't even realized that they were closed.

"G-Good plan," he stammered and she smiled up at him.

"Thanks," she responded as she started walking off. "Lets go."

He stared dumbfounded behind her while shaking his head.

She was something else.

* * *

"So, what's taking so long?" he asked, sounding more aggravated by the second.

They returned to their hotel suite and Kairi immediately started on reading the tablet in her own room. It had only been a few minutes and Sora was already complaining.

"Rome wasn't built in a day. So relax, _Tidus._" He caught her irritated huff and just rolled his eyes at her.

"You'd do the same if you were a wanted criminal," he explained.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not," she retorted back. "That's odd."

"Hmm?" His attention brought back to the tablet she was looking at.

"This isn't Greek. It's Latin." He reflected her confused face.

"What's a Latin artifact doing in a Greek statue?"

"I'm not sure. But I can't say I'm surprised, seeing as the Greeks influenced the Romans. Maybe the sword made a trip through Italy..." she muttered incoherently. Her eyes going back and forth in rapid succession as if her focus was solely on the artifact. "...And Eris was called Discordia in Roman mythology."

"So what's it say?" He thought to ask and she just shook her head.

"My Latin's a little rusty so... This might take days." He groaned in frustration. Impatience clouded his mind and anxiety shook his veins. She must've caught his distress because she let out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I realize we're on a bit of a schedule, but these things take time."

"Yeah, time we don't have," he told her as he started pacing around the room. "All I'm saying is that I seriously don't like the fact that Riku is here. He could be following me or... " He trailed. Kairi found it interesting that he would stop in the middle of his spoken thought.

"What is it, Mr. Villiers?" She tried to pry, finding his silence uncomfortable. Mostly from the look on his face. What was it? Was it actually...

"I just don't want anybody getting hurt." Genuine concern? What the hell? He's a professional, he's not supposed to be concerned. Or show any sign of emotion for that matter. Which is why she was absolutely caught off guard.

"Mr. Villiers... I-"

"Please, just call me Sora. Mr. Villiers can get a little annoying after a while." Her features softened right then. His answer still reeling through her mind. But it was functioning enough to answer with the first thing in mind.

"Fine. Sora, I... I wasn't expecting that from you."

"Well, I didn't expect you to kiss me. So we're even." She felt her face heat up. It wasn't the best idea that she ever had, but it was the only thing that she could think of. Not to mention how good it felt when she did kiss him. Even to a point where she didn't want to let go. The last thought horrified her and thought best to drop the entire thing from her mind, mentally vowing not to think of it ever again.

"By the way, how well do you know this Ansem guy?"

Her thoughts were brought out by his velvety voice. Repeating the question in her head, suspicion surfacing toward the man who kidnapped her.

"Fairly well. Why? What are you getting at?"

"I just find it odd." Her eyebrow lifted.

"That I'm friends with the museum's donor?"

"No, not that. Why was he all dressed up?" She still didn't understand.

"He's a well brought up man and probably had a meeting later on."

"Yeah, maybe... Dr. Farron-"

"Kairi." It was his turn to look oddly at her. "Dr. Farron can get annoying for a little while too." He ignored her request.

"What if he's not what you think he is?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He just _happened _upon a statue that held a clue about a powerful sword and never noticed the markings? Sounds fishy if you ask me."

"It's not like that-"

"And Riku being there? That can't be a coincidence."

"Ansem is not like that."

"How do you know?"

"Because..." she trailed, trying to hold the information from him. His stare was proving difficult for her, however, and she found she had to tell him. "Because he's my grandfather..."

* * *

The door opened for the second time that day. Only this time, the man was expecting this visitor. And he was happy to see the visitor as soon as he saw the silver hair.

"Ah, Mr. Estheim. Brilliant timing. I had just finished up a meeting."

"No kidding, saw them on my way here," Estheim smirked as he stepped into the flat and proceeded to sit on the couch, mentally laughing at the pair. "So, what did they want?"

"They had the artifacts that you tried to retrieve." Estheim 'tch'ed at the memories.

"Not my fault that Sora's faster than me." The older man was now looking out the window with worried lines added to his wise face.

"I'm mostly curious on why my granddaughter is mixed in all this."

"She had the first piece, Sora just got to her before I did."

"No doubt the Organization will take advantage of her."

"So, did they get whatever it is that you had?"

"Indeed. I have no doubts that Kairi will solve the puzzle, I'm just worried about what she has gotten herself into."

"If it's any consolation-" He was going to say a witty remark, but the older man shot him an imposing glare. He cleared his throat and thought to redirect the conversation. "Sora would never do anything to hurt her."

"Is that a result from a long time friendship?"

"Could be." He shrugged, not willing to admit it. "So, you want me to get her for you?"

"No. She would never understand my intentions. She's much too pure for that."

"Well, if she digs in deeper..." He was going to make another witty remark concerning Kairi's 'purity' but he was met with an extremely fierce glare from the older man. He swallowed his words and dropped the whole thing entirely. "Like I said, Sora would protect her. Besides," his ever famous smirk returned. "Looks like she's rubbing off on him now."

* * *

Thank you for reading.  
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	3. The Move

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update. I was actually busy, having problems with my computer, and my beta reader is extremely busy so I decided to let her off the hook. So this chapter was edited by my dear friend **Dmajorboss** from DA (who's so kind to come to my rescue when I asked to have this chapter edited.)

That said, hope you enjoy the chapter. Warning: It's a filler.

You get a cookie if you can guess two of the first quotes where they came from.

* * *

−3−  
The Move

"-and the Prime Minister's decision to-"

"-Are you sleeping with my daughter?-"

"-I've got two words for ya. I-am-reti-"

Flipping. Flipping. Flipping. He continued to surf through the very limited channels and was growing more impatient by the second.

It had only been a few days since they visited Kairi's grandfather and retrieved a stone tablet from the lion statue. Upon further examination, Kairi found that it wasn't Greek, but Latin. Her sense of curiosity getting the best of her, she had been working hard at translating the three thousand year old text. Sitting in the same place for several days, making Sora grow more uncomfortable by the day.

Constantly fidgeting with the TV remote, urge to get up and run around, walls closing in on him.

He was having a clear case of cabin fever.

"If I stay here any longer, I'm gonna go insane," he complained as he turned the TV off. He got up from the bed and stretched out his stiff body.

"Then go. Nothing's keeping you here," Kairi responded without even looking up from her work. He gave her an odd look.

"You're new to this whole kidnapping thing, huh?" For the first time in days, she looked up at him, her look questioning his meaning behind that, "I can't let you out of my sight."

"So, what, you expect me to go with you?" she asked, incredulously.

"That's the gist of it." He half ignored her and proceeded to taking his shirt off, exposing his _very _well built torso to her that was decorated with a crown necklace. He must've been hiding it underneath his shirt so that no one could ID him. It also must be very important to him if he hadn't taken it off. Not to mention the numerous scars that scattered his body. She could already guess what most of them were, but she found it almost horrifying. What sort of Hell did he go through? Yet, at the same time, the scars almost compliment him. She knew when she first met him that he was very attractive looking, but now in his half naked form, she felt her eyes roam his body, almost memorizing every contour, every scar, and every birth mark. Suffice to say, she liked what she saw. Upon realizing what she was doing, she quickly looked away and placed her focus out the window, where she could clearly see the red blush on her face in the reflection.

"F-Forget it, I'm not going out with you," she stammered and he looked at her oddly as he put on another shirt.

"I'm not asking you out on a date."

"You know what I mean." He merely rolled his eyes.

"All I'm saying is that you should get some fresh air. I mean, you look pretty tired."

"You try translating a dead language," she muttered but he heard her angry tone.

"Think I'll pass." He then stared at her intently, as if waiting on her to get up from the desk that she had camped out on.

She then did a double take on him.

"Now?"

"Yup."

"I'm not exactly ready to go out."

"And why's that?"

"Look at me." She finally stood up and splayed her arms out to her sides. "I've been using hotel shampoo and I haven't changed clothes in days."

"Then we'll go shopping and you can get what you need." She was taken aback by his suggestion.

"You actually want to go shopping?"

"If it'll get you to shut up about your looks- Ow!" He rubbed his forearm and stared murderously at her drawn back fist. "What was that for?"

"For calling me ugly."

"What? I didn't call you ugly!"

"Men," she made an unlady-like grunt and stormed passed him.

"Crazy woman," he muttered as he finally noticed her retreating form. "Where are you going?"

"Shower." She closed the bathroom door behind her in a huff and he shook his head.

"Unbelievable..."

* * *

"You ready?" she asked after her shower. She looked around for him and found that he was sitting and facing the window. She could see in his reflection that he looked really annoyed.

"I've _been _ready for the last hour." He turned to face her so she could see clearly how annoyed he really was and she merely rolled her eyes at him.

They didn't say a word to each other as they left the room and entered the elevator. They stood on opposites sides while leaning against the wall, thoughts entertaining them as time passed. But, of course, one curiosity entered her mind and she found that it can't get any more private than inside the elevator.

"By the way, how am I going to pay for my stuff?" she asked him.

"Simple. You use the Organization's credit cards," he replied with a deadpan tone and she gave him a quizzical look.

"Aren't those traceable?"

"Glad to hear you know that much," he smirked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out said card and hand it to her. "Fortunately, these cards are so blocked off that it would make the biggest hackers sweat."

"Aren't _you_ fortunate then," she huffed as she took the card out of his hand and examined it. It was gold (_Go figure,_ she thought) and the Organization's name written on it.

"I never had to use these cards." She found that hard to believe.

"Why not? Didn't the Organization give them to you?"

"They're not gifts. They're a leash."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a way for the Organization to keep taps on me. Make sure I'm doing everything that they tell me to do."

"And here I thought that you're a lap dog."

He finally turned and approached her, backing her against the elevator car and placing his hand on the wall next to her. His body was less than an inch from hers, his eyes staring intently at her. Her breath let out an involuntary hitch as he started to speak to her. His breath splashing down to her face and her heart raced even faster.

"I live my own life. I don't let assholes like them try to run me. I do things my way, and if they don't like it. Not my problem." He finally backed away from her and resumed his previous position.

"S-So," she cleared her throat. "How do you pay your bills then?"

"Three words. Swiss-Bank-Account." He held up three fingers and dropped one for each word.

"Right." She found the whole thing uneasy, mostly with the fact that he was giving it to her. "So, why give this to me?"  
"Because I won't be using them."

She sent him a hard glare.

"You're an ass."

"Mercenary, remember?"

* * *

Three stores. Three stores and counting.

This wasn't his most aggravating mission, but he found it to be border line irritating. Suffice to say, it had been a long time since he went shopping with a girl. _You'd think when they get older it gets easier,_ he thought, but Kairi was just as bad. After the first store, she said that she didn't find what she was looking for and went to the next, saying that it was for practical reasons. After the second store, she came out with a bag in her hand but said that she wasn't finished yet. On to store number three...

He had been watching her look around from outside the store, staring at her red hair and pale skin from the window and hoping inwardly that this was the last stop.

All the while, during his staring, he couldn't shake off the fact that they were being followed. He spotted the guy as soon as they left the hotel. He wasn't sure at first, but when he saw the same guy in all the areas they were in, he was absolutely certain. Deciding that Kairi wasn't going to come out any time soon, he looked through the crowds and found the guy standing against a light post and looking as though he were staring aimlessly.

Sora knew better.

He got up from leaning against his own light post and walked across the street to the stranger.

When he got closer, he made out the stranger's features: blond spiky hair that resembled an ocean's wave and blue eyes, a white short sleeved jacket with a checker pattern across his chest, a black t-shirt underneath with a shuriken necklace hanging from his neck, beige pants and black and red skater shoes.

His aloof nature giving away his true purpose in Sora's eyes.

"Y'know, I've been able to pick out spies from a large crowd. Mostly from the way they move. And to be honest, I've seen better," Sora said as he finally approached the blond stranger. The blond then finally looked at him, looking to prepare a lie for him but it wouldn't go past Sora. Instead, the blond smiled.

"That obvious, huh?" the blond answered back, confirming Sora's suspicion and sent him a dangerous glare.

"And unless you want to see your end in that alley over there," Sora pointed next to them. "Tell me why you were spying on me." The blond didn't look fazed at all as he stood up straight and stretched his hand out to Sora.

"I'm Roxas. I'm in the Organization."

Sora merely stared at his hand and didn't make any action to shake it.

"Huh, the Organization's taking young members now? Or are you just on the short end of the leash."

"Make fun now, but I was actually sent to keep my eye on you."

"Really. The Organization's that bored?"

"You haven't checked in with them since that call to Liverpool," Roxas reminded him and the brunette merely rolled his eyes.

"Because I've got nothing to report."

"All right." The blond shrugged. "But you might as well tell me about the guest you have." He nodded his head towards the store Kairi was in.

"The 'guest' can make heads and tails with the clues," Sora answered, not even looking at the store. The blond sent him another smile.

"I take it that's all you're going to tell me."

"And I take it you're new, right?"

"To the Organization?" Sora just looked at him and Roxas nodded to the answer.

"Watch your back." The blond gave him an amused look.

"From you or them?"

"Both," Sora answered as blunt as possible. Roxas laughed.

"... Okay. Gotta go now. Just remember to call every now and then." The blond then turned around and started to walk away. Sora grunted after he was lost in the crowd.

_Yeah I'll call, when I feel like it, _he thought bitterly as he turned back to the store. Only to find Kairi had already exited and is now looking at the place where he last stood only to look confused. He approached her and tapped her shoulder. She turned to the source and her confusion went away.

"Hey," she said to him. He now saw that she had another bag to her already two. He held in a grunt at the needlessness.

"You done?" he asked, holding his tongue.

"Gotta stop by a couple other places. Then I'll be done." He rolled his eyes as he started walking passed her. She followed along and fell into step with him. "You don't have to tag along y'know," she told him and he merely shrugged.

"I have to. All part of keeping my eye on you."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a stalker," she laughed and Sora rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day.

"Ha ha. Real original. But you forget that I get paid to do this."

"Don't remind me..."

* * *

"Want to know what's funny?" Kairi asked as soon as they reentered their hotel suite and she placed her five bags on top of her bed.

"Hmm?" he responded, half listening.

"You're probably the first guy I shopped with that didn't complain." She gave him an amused look, but his remained stiff and as cold as ever.

"The way that I see it, you need this stuff." He then took his seat near the window, only with a more distracted wind about him. She had noticed.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Huh?" he turned back to her with a questioning look.

"You're usually brooding about now." He sent her a hot glare.

"I do not brood." She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat. "And why are you laughing?"

"It's gonna sound weird, but you actually look cute when you get all defensive." He looked oddly at her again. More like if she were insane and why she isn't dead for saying such a comment. The awkward pause eventually caught up with her and her smile immediately went away. "Right, forget I said anything."

"Okay...," he cleared his throat as he looked out the window again. "That aside, the Organization sent one of their lackeys to spy on us." She lowered her eyebrows.

"Really? Why would they do that?"

"Because I haven't called in and tell them everything." Now she rolled her eyes.

"And why didn't you?"

"Not my style." She fought down an irritated sigh.

"You do realize that if you don't let them know what's happening, they're just gonna keep bugging you."

"Eh. Let 'em. Nothing can bug me." He shrugged as he turned to her again. "Except you, of course."

"Aww, the feeling's mutual," she shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, this guy, did he tell you his name?"

"Stupid enough, he did. Then again, for all I know, he could've given me a fake name...," he mumbled incoherently and Kairi's patience was growing thin.

"So, what is it?"

"Don't you have translating to do?" He stated rather than asked, feeling the need to change the subject.

"With all the material that I have? It's pretty impossible as it is."

"So what are you suggesting? We go out again?" He hoped she would say no. Mostly for 'not another shopping trip' deal.

"I was actually hoping we hit up Oxford."

"Oxford?" he asked curiously. Why would she need to go all the way there?

"Yeah. One of the best Universities in the world after all." He let out a sigh as he took out his cell phone and started talking away with the person on the other line. And with a few short words, he folded his phone closed.

"Oxford it is."

* * *

The trip to Oxford was a quiet one. The only two words that were said coming from Sora were 'almost there.' Time and again she tried to strike a conversation with him, but all she received was silence. He really wasn't kidding when he said that he refused to open up to her, she had thought. Now she knew it was damn near impossible.

However, no matter where she went, he was always there. He was even outside the university at the very moment. She'd call him a lost puppy clinging to the owner, but he had a more protective nature. Not a comforting kind of protection, but more possessive. Like an ex-boyfriend that doesn't trust her with others. Only he offered her a little more freedom. How else was she able to enter the university while he stood watch outside?

She was looking at her reflection from the computer screen and noticed the dark shades under her eyes. She hadn't had that much sleep since she discovered the Latin tablet in the lioness statue's mouth. But it wasn't the only thing that was bothering her.

She found it very frightening that she doesn't know a thing about Sora. Other than that he doesn't like to be called a 'dog', he lets out a small snore at exactly two-seventeen in the morning, thinks that reality TV is complete trash, and that he favors the window very much. She has asked him why he always looks out there and he told her that it was 'surveillance.' Whatever that meant.

_Huhn, there's a thought, _she was thinking to herself. She realized she had Google opened from her research (that isn't Wikipedia) and curiosity formed in her mind.

She typed 'Sora Villiers' in the search bar and clicked 'Search.'

* * *

"Okay, so what have you found out?" Sora asked as they finally made it back to the hotel. The entire way was silent, but it was more of an angry kind of silence. Mostly from her. He had figured he should wait to ask when they got back to the room. But after he asked, he was still met with that angry silence. He found this to be very odd, as he never saw her this mad before. Eyebrows furrowed deeper than before, eyes alight with fury, even the wrinkles around her mouth dug deep, begging to release her fury. But as her silence felt prolonged, he felt the need to prod. "Hello? What's up with you? You usually start yammering away by now."

She now finally turned to him, eyes all on him.

"You really want to know what I found out?" her voice laced with venom. He rolled his eyes as he didn't even feel the slightest bit intimidated.

"Uh yeah. I have an interest in this too, y'know," he said as if he were stating the obvious.

"And by that you mean money."

"What else?" Her glare still hard on him and he let out a sigh. "What?"

"You _really _want to know what I found out?" He nodded. Not even bothering to answering as she will most certainly tell him anyway. "I found out how incredibly stupid you are!" she exclaimed as she approached one inch away from him and poked him hard in the chest. "You had so much potential and yet you threw it all out! How could you- ugh!" She threw her arms up and walked away from him as he stared wide eyed. Then he mirrored her furious face and added ten more.

He grabbed her shoulder and forced her to face him. His flaming blue eyes staring down at her and every muscle itching to hit something. She hadn't seen him this angry before either and she certainly wasn't intimidated by it.

"How-did-you-know?" he demanded in slow even hiss. She batted his hand away from her shoulder.

"Ever heard of Google? There are articles about you all over the internet! Varsity soccer, 4.0 GPA, Ivy League material, and it just keeps going after that!" His glare hardened as his teeth gritted.

"I don't have to explain myself to _you,_" he spat the last word, drawing emphasis to his growing fury.

"Oh yeah, because running away is the only thing you _can _do."

"I am NOT running away!" He yelled as he grabbed her shoulders and brought her body close to his. She was initially shocked from the contact, but her glare still remained. Having a staring contest with him and neither were flinching. Then he continued to spat down at her. "You're just pissed that I'm not working with other egg heads like _you_."

"Yeah, but you'd rather steal from hard working people. All you ever wanted is money!" He let a low growl and pushed her away from him.

"You don't know what I want," he said in a low venomous voice.

"I think it's obvious of what you want," she said back, mirroring his venom.

"Well, if it makes you sleep better, I didn't ask for this lifestyle."

Both her eyebrows lifted at his admission. This was probably just a way to keep her at bay, but it only succeeded in softening her features. Mostly from curiosity. She had noticed from when they had first met that his eyes were a very deep shade of blue; she assumed that they use to be a lighter color. Indicating that he must've experienced true pain and suffering that she couldn't possibly imagine in her life.

"What happened?" she thought to ask, feeding in to her curiosity.

"I told you, I'm not opening up to you," he responded and all of her anger came back, ten – fold.

"Well, fine! Be the biggest dick on the planet! I don't care anymore!" She roughly walked passed him and entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind. So hard that it would've made Sora jump, but his seething anger and years of experience was what kept him grounded. But a light of sadness entered his features as he repeated the last thing she had said in his mind.

_You're not the first to say that._

* * *

She had finally come out of the bathroom after two hours of cursing, hitting, and breathing, clearing her mind of all thoughts that revolved around Sora's background... coming down to the conclusion that she still didn't know much about him. Mainly that he was very bright during his teenage years, anything after was still a mystery. He had said that he never asked for the life that he has, something must've happened to him.

However, that wasn't the thing that she was angry with.

She was angry because he kept it from her. That he would throw away his life to doing something that would get him locked up for the rest of his life. He had potential, he had promise, and he threw it all out. For what? Money? She half believed that now.

He was brought into this life. But how? Why?

Why on Earth was she curious about this?

"How's it going?" he asked as she continued her work on the tablet, thinking that the silence was too unnerving and angry still. She didn't answer him and he knew to take a hint. "Okay, so now you're ignoring me. Fair enough." She just continued her work, not paying any mind to him. He let out a sigh as he resumed looking out the window. "Y'know, you didn't have the right to look me up."

It was then that she finally turned to him, with a look that asked if he were crazy.

"Didn't have the right? You're plastered all over the internet! Anybody can look you up."

"You still did it without my consent."

"Unbelievable..." she groaned while rubbing the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Maybe... "My parents didn't raise me."

"What?" he asked, turning to her. Mostly from how out of the blue she said it.

"They died when I was four. Car accident. I was placed in foster care until Ansem got me out." He quirked an eyebrow.

"And that's relevant because..."

"I've always wondered what they must've been like. Ansem told me that they were good people. He also said that my dad was a Professor at some University and that my mom made curtains from scratch. He said everyone loved them and they were sad when they died. I can't really say much because I can barely remember them. But it also makes me sad. It's not fair, y'know?" Familiarity entered his mind. He knew very well of what she was talking about.

"That's life," he simply said and she nodded.

"Yeah. Life." She had a distant look on her. As if her mind was struggling to remember her mom and dad. He could tell that she couldn't even succeed. However, that wasn't the only thing.

"Gotta give you points for the effort," he said, very offhandedly. She turned back to him with a stern face.

"You can't keep everything bottled up forever."

"I have for the last ten years," he shot back. Eyes widening as he realized what he had just said. She was intrigued now. "Shit."

"Ten years? That would be when you graduated high school." She did the math in her head. Assuming that Sora is a year older than her. "Did something happen that summer?"

"Yeah, something happened and that's all you're getting." She put on a small smile.

"It's progress."

"No, it's not. Because I am _never _gonna tell you any more than that." Now she half believed that. She put her pen down and got up from her seat in front of the desk and joined him on the bed. He looked surprised at her as she stared out the window as well.

"Y'know, because my parents died when I was so young... kids can be so cruel," her voice wavered. Like recalling a painful memory. "I've had a number of nicknames, starting from 'orphan girl' to 'the girl that has no parents.' The favorite was 'orphan Annie.' I've been rejected, ignored, and had very little friends. All that shit ended when I entered high school and focused on my studies. I graduated on top of my class. I've always had an interest in history and I wanted to follow my dad's footsteps. Never would've expected that I'd end up at the Smithsonian. Only the best get to work there." She took a deep breath as she finally turned to him. Almost surprised that he had been paying attention to everything she had said. She smiled at him and he could only describe it as being gentle. "So to answer your question, no. I'm not perfect."

"I didn't ask that," he said, mostly wondering how she knew.

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face." She waved her finger over his face and he got annoyed with it as he swatted it away.

"You're still not getting anything out of me," he stated, matter-of-factly. A knowing smile graced her face as she got up from the bed and went back to work on the tablet. All the while, she could feel his gaze on her back.

* * *

"Well, what do we have here?"

The silver haired man asked as he lowered his binoculars, having found everything that happened in the building across the street absolutely amusing. He took his foot off the ledge it was leaning on and put away his binoculars. A smirk playing on his lips.

"You're getting soft, Sora."

* * *

No sooner did they arrive at Oxford she hit up the university, no doubt growing tired by the minute. Ever since they had arrived in Britain, she was never given a chance to rest and get over the initial jet lag. Now she was paying the price. She blamed Sora for getting her to this state and she absolutely hated that _he_ wasn't experiencing it himself! He drove her crazy at times but this one she'll never forgive. Not to mention that she shared a piece of her life with him. She mainly did it to gain his trust as she saw early on that she would be spending an awful lot of time with him. May as well get to know each other better while she was at it. Of course, that was after she found out about his past as a perfect high school student.

However, despite his life choices in which she had no business dwelling in to begin with, she had managed to figure out what sort of Latin that was inscribed on the tablet: Pre-B.C.E. It appeared to have been inside the lion's mouth through all that time, as it was never exposed to the harmful atmosphere. With that, she can now finally start the process of the actual translating.

Numerous books and papers scattered the table she occupied. Luckily for her, she was friends with the administration and was able to enter the building without any suspicion. Although there was a curiosity on why was she there to begin with, but she assured them that there was nothing to be concerned with and that she was only tying up loose ends.

She was so immersed into her studies that she had failed to see a shadow overcastting her source of light.

"Of all the places to find you, of course you'd be here."

Kairi froze from her pencil writing as she recognized that condescending tone, sweet and with a hint of innocence, but one that could be easily angered. She knew this especially since she had known the woman ever since she started working in the museum. Kairi tentatively looked up and saw the fuming blond stand from across the table, glaring daggers at her.

"Naminé?" she asked with a surprised tone and then went on to add, "What're you doing here?"

"Easy, the museum never cleared for you to come here." Kairi looked bashfully down at her papers, guilt occupying her insides. She knew she could never fool Naminé. And she also knew that her friend would travel a long ways to get answers.

"It was an emergency. I had no control," she half lied. It was true that she had no control over it, considering she was kidnapped. And it was a emergency on how dire the situation was; she couldn't stop it.

"Don't give me that. I can always tell when you're lying." Kairi now hated how Naminé can basically read her like a book. Damn artists. Have to notice everything around them. "Now tell me, what the hell was so important that it brought you to this side of the world?" she asked as she took a seat before Kairi. Worry etched in to her features.

"I can't tell you," Kairi struggled to say. She would've wanted Naminé to take her back to the states and forget this whole thing ever happened, but she knew she couldn't.

"Why not?" It was then that she decided to pack everything up as fast as she could. She doesn't want Naminé involved. "Kairi?"

"Look, I just can't tell you. And please don't ask me why, I just can't," she answered as she got up and made her way around the table. But then Naminé grabbed her hand and made Kairi look down at her.

"Kairi, are you being threatened?" She looked seriously up at the red head. She faltered at the sight, but her mind was made up.

"I have to go." She slipped out of Naminé's grasp and proceeded to the exit.

"Kairi-" she started to say as she got up and followed her best friend. But Kairi turned sharply at her.

"Naminé, please, don't follow me." Naminé looked at her in confusion along with concern. Kairi's face read that she couldn't tell her anything even though she wanted to. "And don't call the police. Trust me, you'll get nothing." The blond let out an irritated sigh. She had to give up.

"Just answer me one question." Kairi looked at her friend expectantly. "Does it have to do with that artifact you were looking at?"

She averted her eyes to the ground and turned back around.

"I'll see you when I get home," she told her blond friend and she exited out of the building without even looking twice behind her.

* * *

"Sora?" She said upon returning to the hotel room. He looked up to see her reflection in the window and didn't even turn to face her. Mostly thinking that she probably has more information regarding the tablet that he would find to be absolutely meaningless. "We have to go." That was when he put his attention on her and managed to take his eyes away from the window.

"What?" he asked her and already she was packing her things.

"One of my colleagues tracked me down." He lifted an eyebrow.

"So?"

"So, I don't want to endanger Naminé by bringing her into all this." She then looked at him and he saw that her face was etched with fear. "Weren't you the one that said that you didn't want anyone getting hurt?" He let out a sigh.

"Okay, fair enough." He got up from his perch and took his cell phone out. Already speed dialing a particular number. "So, where to?"

"The best place for Roman mythology." He looked at her blankly and then she clarified. "Rome." He turned his attention on the phone as he heard a click that somebody had picked it up.

"Yeah. I know. There's nothing. Positive. We need to go to Italy," he answered all his employer's questions and then closed his phone shut. "Plane leaves in ten minutes."

She put on a face filled with gratitude for him. Out of all the faces that he has seen on her, this one had to be the strangest.

"Thank you, Sora."

* * *

Thanks to: **KaUiA, Mr. Eclipse, ash-nobody, MHplayer749, KHGamergirl** for leaving kind reviews for the first two chapters. As well **Dmajorboss** for being as awesome as he is for editing the chapter.

Thank you for reading.  
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	4. The Kunai

−4−  
The Kunai

He was never one to follow 'orders' to the letter. He always made his own rules. 'Who cares how it's done as long as it is' is his general philosophy. He had managed to get away with all sorts of missions with this idea in mind. And he was always met with the highest praise. Even with his time with _that man_, he had always succeeded. However, it was always his then-best friend that received the most attention.

It was amazing how events seemed to build and then only to come together in the very end. Although, he knew that there was no such thing as "endings." He can only contemplate on what was going to happen next.

Like when is the sleeping girl in his hotel room going to wake up?

He could only be patient as he imagined that she had been working none stop since her kidnapping.

Another amazing thing, she has been kidnapped twice now. At this rate, things can only get worse for her before they can get better.

It was easy to get her out of her previous hotel room. He knew that Sora would collapse from fatigue sooner or later. That's another benefit from knowing him for so long: he can predict Sora's actions.

He was always keeping his eyes outside the window and never towards the door. Day and night, he would look out. It was only a matter of time before those tiny yawns turn to snores. He should really say the same thing about the girl. He found it funny that he had found one thing that they both had in common, even if they hadn't realized it themselves.

They were both dedicated.

"Hmm..." He heard her starting to stir. The effects from the chloroform must be wearing off. He had only applied a small amount to her nasal passage, making sure not to kill her. "Huh?" She started sitting up and rubbing her eyes. He could imagine that she must be feeling dizzy as her fingers delicately touched her forehead. He waited until she blinked a few times before he made his presence known.

"Good, you're awake." Her eyes then shot open as she lowered her hand and looked for the source of the new voice. She finally found him sitting on the room's lone desk chair. His silver hair, which grew past his shoulders, framed his long face and partially covered his aquamarine eyes. Yellow and blue seemed to be his particular favorite color scheme as he wore a pale yellow vest covering a baby blue t-shirt underneath, as well as dark blue cargos adorning his legs and black gloves covered his hands with black and orange track shoes to complete his outfit. She had seen him before. He was heading in the same direction as her grandfather's apartment while she covered Sora's face with... She'd prefer to forget about that. But now remembering Sora's frantic state of seeing this man, she felt unease roll in her stomach as well as her face. Seeing this, he raised his gloved hands.

"Relax. Nothing's out of place."

He had created a very peaceful atmosphere around him. She didn't know how he did it. It was probably from the gentle smile, or the sense of protection from his very broad shoulders. Either way, she felt safe with him.  
"That's not the first time I heard that," she said, finding it comfortable to talk normally with him. "You're Sora's rival, aren't you?" she thought to ask. Just to confirm her suspicion.

He 'tch'ed in response, "Is that what he calls me now? Suppose that fits, huh?" He gave her a winning smile and she fought down a blush.

"Who are you anyway?" She couldn't recall Sora ever saying it.

"He never told you?" She shrugged her shoulders and he let out a sigh, mostly from Sora's idiocy at times. "My name's Riku Estheim."

"Dr. Kairi Farron," she introduced herself in fair exchange. But he gave her a knowing glance.

"I already know who you are. You're pretty famous." She looked down at the mattress she was sitting on with a flattered look.

"So what am I doing here?" she thought to ask. Mostly on the fact that she wasn't in the same room she went to bed in last night and that Sora wasn't there when she woke up. Not to mention that he and this man were rivals. Many questions would come out of this and she would make sure she'd remember all of them.

"Believe it or not, I'm taking you out of the danger," he replied as he stood up from his chair with a serious look. She was taken aback by the answer, confused on what he had meant. "I don't know what Sora has told you, but those Organizers are bad news. Most of the members are either assassins, murderers, and a whole bunch of other things that'll make your head spin." A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and fear etched in to her features.

"So is this your way of saving me?" she asked with an accusing tone.

"You could call it that." Her unsettling feeling didn't lift.

"Sora's going to search for me," she said with near dread in her voice.

"Yeah, he will," he muttered, almost amusingly. He knew his former friend too well. He looked seriously at her again, adding, "But when he does, are you going back to him?" The question nearly shocked her. What was he implying? "I could take you back to the States, so you'll forget this whole thing and continue to work at the museum."

That was it, her way out! The one thing she had been wanting since the day she was kidnapped. She can take it all back. Back to the way things were: her work, her friends, her life, her freedom. And leave behind everything that she had worked hard for. The work she was forced to do and she'll be able to accomplish her goals her own way. However...

"Home does sound good about now..." she started. Remembering the critical detail that set everything back to where she is now. "But Sora would just drag me in all over again."

Riku half expected that answer. Mainly that he had already mused with the idea. He was trained to see all the possibilities. Every dark tunnel, half hoping for a glimmer of light. But who the Hell was he kidding? He knew things can never be that simple.

"Sora and the Organization," he thought to correct her. It was true after all. She has proven to be a valuable asset. With that, he reached behind him and took the hotel's stationary along with a pen and started writing on it. "Tell you what, when you do go back to Sora, add this to your phone.'" He ripped the piece of paper and handed it to Kairi. She took it nimbly from him. "Call if anything happens."

She looked at the piece of paper to see a cell phone number as well as a name she didn't recognize.

"Locke?" She looked up at him with a questioning look.

"They'll be tapping the phones," he answered and then glanced outside the window. "All right, no doubt Sora's on his way as we speak so I suggest you get outta here now."

A question still nagged at her though as she pocketed the paper into her robe. She saw he had picked it up from the room when she assumed he took her from Sora. She also saw that dawn has barely broken so it wouldn't matter if she walked outside with only a bathrobe.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked him and she saw him smirk into the window's reflection.

"Lets just say I'm doing someone a favor."

* * *

She cautiously looked around her as soon as she stepped out of the hotel, bathrobe covering up most of the parts that needed covering. She couldn't help the blush as she noticed a man walking his dog and is looking at her oddly. Until she saw his expression change and she was _very_ close to punching his lights out.

However, she didn't even come close to doing so when she felt herself being pulled forcefully into a nearby alleyway.

"Hey!" she yelled, hoping a 'polizia' was around to hear her scream but her mouth was quickly covered and her entire body being pressed by another against the brick wall. She finally met her assailant as his stormy blue eyes glared a thousand daggers down at her.

"You _really _have a lot of nerve," Sora whispered dangerously down at her, making sure that she felt how incredibly angry he was with her. She gave him a look that just screamed that she didn't give a rat's ass on what he had to say. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot," he spat down at her and she lowered an eyebrow, saying that she can't answer with his hand over her mouth. He begrudgingly took it away as she stared up at him, looking really annoyed.

"You need me." He grunted and pushed himself off her, keeping in at least an infinity amount of insults and curses to himself.

"Well, in that case I guess I should just chain you up and force the information out of you!" he yelled as he faced her only to see that she had already crossed her arms over her chest, giving a very provocative look at her legs and chest, but he quickly reminded himself with how angry he was with her. "Just what the hell were you thinking?"

"Well gee... I don't know. I was a little busy getting kidnapped. Again," she added quickly, as her words were laced with sarcasm. He did a double take on her as the words left her and curiosity entered his thoughts. Of course the thought of her lying entered his mind, but the look she was giving him told him otherwise.

"Who kidnapped you? Wait. Don't answer that." Sora already knew the answer as he rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. "What did he want?" he thought to ask, now growing impatient with the predicament.

She merely shrugged as she decided to give him one third of the details Riku gave her.

"Nothing happened. Just warned me of the situation I'm in. But if you ask me, it feels like I'm being reminded." He looked at her oddly.

"Reminded of what?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Her anger and curiosity now directed to him. "The Organization... who are they, really?" He merely stared mockingly at her.

"Did you forget in that pretty little head of yours?" he told her while he approached her and pointed his index finger at her. But she quickly swatted it away. "I told you, I don't know. I never heard of them until they contacted me. Wait-" His eyes widened as he slammed both of his hands on both sides of Kairi's head on the wall behind her. "What did he tell you?" he demanded and she averted her gaze to the ground.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied through her teeth and he saw her 'tell.'

"I've been trained to tell when someone is lying. Tell me what he said. Exactly," he said slowly and every bit threatening.

"And if I don't?" she challenged as she reverted her gaze to him. His nose a mere centimeter away from hers.

"Why don't you let me worry about that," he smirked as he practically growled at her. But her resolve didn't waver.

"You can't intimidate me."

"Tell me."

"No." He let out a frustrated sigh and bobbed his head back. He really hated his job sometimes.

"What was that friend of yours name again? Na- Nami-" Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Oh yeah... Naminé," he continued as he looked at her again, her gaze now horror stricken and every bit angry. "Pretty unique name... French, right? You said she's your colleague so it wouldn't be hard to find her in that museum." She glowered at him, hating him more with every second. "Now, are you going to tell me what he told you?"

"You are a sick bastard," she practically spat in his face. He looked unfazed by her words.

"Tell me something I don't know," he said quickly as he pushed himself away and looked expectantly at her. "What did he say to you?" She looked begrudgingly at him. Feeling frustrated that he could threaten her like it was nothing while she stands in turmoil for her best friend's safety.

"He said that the Organizers are made up of assassins, murderers, and a whole bunch of other things that I'd rather not know about," she finally answered him. He was expecting her to continue, but when she didn't, he looked at her with a slanted eyebrow.

"That's all?"

"Yes," she answered while he lowered his eyebrows and gained a thoughtful look. She looked at him with confusion. "What?"

He stepped further away from her and placed a couple fingers on his chin, starting a line of thinking. But she really questioned him when he started talking to himself.

"... That's something I didn't think they are. Just old dusty collectors, I said to myself. Then again, the guy I keep speaking to sounded like someone in their late thirties to early forties. And that Roxas guy, he looked just as old as I am. And where do you think you're going?"

Suffice to say, she had enough of him for the morning and the only thing she wanted to do was to get back to her research. She had started walking halfway through his thinking process. He had heard her light bare feet hitting the pavement.

"To the hotel. I _do_ have a tablet to translate y'know," she pointed out without stopping her pace.

"Glad to hear that he didn't mess with you," he muttered as he followed her footsteps.

"And how do you know he wouldn't?" He held in a curse, never did he think that her hearing was that good. "Didn't you say that you were friends at one point?" Or her memory for that matter.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not opening up to you," he said in near frustration. She glared at him as he walked passed her and onto the street.

"Why am I stuck with you again?"

"You have no choice."

* * *

"Okay. Half way through," Kairi announced. The two were back in their hotel suite and she went straight to work without even changing out of her robe and night gown. Working steadfastly and not even looking up for anything. Sora, on the other hand, was sitting on his bed while cleaning his gun. Removing any sort of residue that may prove to be a hindrance later on.

"So what's it say so far?" he asked offhandedly. Not removing his eyes from the task at hand.

"From the looks of it, it's a riddle." Upon hearing that, he let out a low groan. He hated riddles and never understood the need of them. "I know, it's annoying, but this is how some of the ancients keep the curious at bay. Until someone who's clever enough to figure it out comes along."

"You saying it's all about you now?" he smirked and she turned to glare at him.

"I never said that, nor would I imply such a thing." He felt her glare as well as her heated words.

"Take it easy, we all have our greedy moments," he said with ease as he was piecing his 9mm back together.

"Now we're talking about you," she retorted as she watched him cock his gun into place and stare at her with a crooked eyebrow.

"You're calling me greedy?"

"Greedy, selfish, stubborn, horrendous, inconsiderate, fast, need I go on?" She listed off the top of her head with a smile playing on her lips. He responded with an irritated glare.

"Y'know, you're not little miss perfect either," he retorted back and she looked unaffected.

"I told you, I know I'm not perfect."

"I didn't mean you being an orphan." She gave him a quizzical look.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You're also stubborn, fast, know-it-all, egotistical, easily angry, stop me when you've heard enough." A smile played on his lips as he listed off her traits. Her glare resuming its place as she let out a 'hmph' and went back to her work.

"It's been, what, three weeks? And I still can't stand being around you," she muttered and he didn't hear a single word of it. Mainly because as soon he glanced out the window he saw a black figure standing on the roof of the building across the street from their hotel. He kept his eyes on the figure and couldn't help but find them somewhat familiar. He watched as the figure slowly raised their arm and an alarm immediately entered his mind.

"Get down!" He sprang from his perch and raced to Kairi. He grabbed her by her shoulders and forced her down to the ground. By then, they both heard the window shatter and an object striking down and embedding itself into the floor.

Her back flat on the floor, with Sora on top of her, put them both in an awkward position. With her still in her mid-thigh length nightgown and robe and him in a black tank top, showing off his glistening arm muscles and practically caging around her body. She liked how he has her in a protective embrace. As soon as she thought of that, she quickly squashed the tiny flutter in her stomach and trying to keep in mind of what had just happened.

"W-What was that?" she stammered as she felt his hot breath brush her ear.

"Stay down, I'll take a look," he whispered as he slowly got up, glass shards falling from his body, and surveyed the damage around them. The glass from the window sprayed all the way up to his bed and littered her papers. He saw the object that created the damage and got up on all fours to crawl to where her head would have been in line with it. He saw it was a dual sided knife and at the end of the handle was a ring. He gripped the handle and pulled it out of the floor. It didn't go at first but a stronger tug set it free.

_A kunai, _he thought as his eyebrows lifted in realization. "Stay here," he said as he got onto his feet and stowed the weapon into his deep pocket. Keeping it out of Kairi's sight.

"What?" she asked, almost accusingly.

"I said, stay here."

"I heard you, but why?"

"Got a meeting to go to." With that, he walked towards the door. She heard the lock click and she knew she was locked in, again. To that, she glared at the door he just left through and let out a huff.

How annoying.

* * *

It didn't take him long to reach the roof where the kunai came from. It was a business building and he marched into the lobby without even glancing at the receptionist. He had received stares and mumbles but he ignored every single one of them. His stature even frightened the security as he looked he could kill with a stare. He had taken the elevator up to the last floor and found the stairs to the roof. Opening the door and immediately spotting the figure that nearly killed him or Kairi. Even though her back was facing him, his suspicions were correct.

"I see you got my message," he heard her sinister voice. Her slick back blond hair looking like daggers falling from her head and her curves and muscles on sight would make the bravest of men twitch in fear. Curves he's very familiar with.

"Long time no see, Rae," he responded as he approached her. She slowly turned to him where he could now see her venom green eyes and two antenna like strands of her hair sticking up and flowing back to her crown.

"The name's Larxene now," her sly voice replied with a devilish smile.

"Larxene? Fitting," he smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Could say the same about you."

She turned back to the scenery and looked almost thoughtful. Almost, since he knew her very well, that she must be thinking of creative ways to use her cleverly hidden knives. Which reminded him, "So what brings you all the way to Italy?" she asked him, now with a bored tone as he reached into his pocket.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Or rather, who sent you here?" he asked her back as he held her kunai in front of her. She took it back and didn't even mutter a 'thank you.'

"Looks like we still ask the same questions," still with a bored tone as her eyes reflected that emotion. "Just checking up on you; you haven't called after all."

"And I should call you because..." She gave him a knowing look and he immediately understood. "I see. High up in the shark tank, huh?"

"Yup; among the ranks as they say."

"Glad to see you're moving up in the world," he smirked as she shot him a glare while dropping her hands to her sides.

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Depends." He shrugged.

"Well, I suppose you've forgotten how much I hate sarcasm!" In one quick move, she removed another kunai from her belt and pointed the tip to his throat. All the while, he didn't even flinch.

"And I think you've forgotten that I'm not afraid of you anymore." Amusement danced in her eyes and played on her lips. She withdrew her signature knife and squared her shoulders.

"Right, I totally forgot! You were such a baby when you first started. But then _he_ whipped you into shape-"

"Don't talk about _him,_" he interrupted in a deadly tone and she could see his face darken. She was entirely surprised by this. He's always been too soft for his own good. Instead, she averted her attention to the hotel window she shattered not too long ago.

"So, that your new girlfriend?" she asked, completely disinterested.

"Like I told the other guy, she can make heads and tails with the clues. Right now, she's in the process of solving another one."

"I see. Must be pretty tough, huh?"

"She can do it." By this, she shot a surprised look at him. She never expected him to say something like that, so unwavering and full of confidence. Another smirk played on her features.

"Mighty high expectations, Sora. If I didn't know any better-"

"Tell your boss to quit checking up on me. It's getting kind of annoying," he interrupted her again, only sounding more annoyed while turning his back to her and started for the roof entrance.

"Like I enjoy seeing you again," sarcasm played her tongue. "Why don't you pick up the phone for a change?"

* * *

"Sora? Did you find them?" Kairi asked as soon as the room door opened and he stepped in.

"Yeah. I found them," he responded, sounding as stoical as possible. When she didn't get an answer, she look irritated at him.

"So?" she probed and he merely waved a hand.

"Another Organization flunky saying that I should call in," again he said offhandedly as he walked over to his bed (seeing as his mattress was still covered in glass shards) and started putting his gun cleaning supplies away.

"I understand you don't like being treated like a dog, but honestly, if you just called they wouldn't be throwing kunai at our heads." His head shot up and looked at her with surprise.

"You saw that it was a kunai?" he asked. Wondering if she saw the actual weapon he stored in his pocket earlier.

"Uh yeah, I studied Japanese weaponry for a little while. I can tell the difference between a real katana and one sold from the black market." He let a breath of air he didn't even know he was holding and merely shook his head.

"Y'know, that's not really impressive," he stated (seeing as he could recognize a weapon on sight as well.) She shot him another irritated glare and stomped towards the desk, mindful of the glass and her bare feet.

"Ugh. Why do I even..." she huffed as she put together her work. All the while, he lifted an eyebrow as a new thought dawned on him.

_Is she trying to impress me?_

* * *

He couldn't sleep that night. Not that he actually tried to; rather, questions were both entering and leaving his mind.

Like the message Kairi inadvertently delivered to him from Riku. How much did Riku really know about the Organization that he, Sora, didn't? And Rae's- Larxene's involvement with them. Well, that one is probably just a coincidence, but he could hardly say that everything else is.

Another example would be the red head that was sleeping on the other bed of the room.

For some odd reason, he finds his paranoia to triple its capacity when he thought she ran off. Was it the fear that she might have went to the police? That she wasn't in the same proximity as him? Or that he has grown protective of her? He scoffed at the last one, knowing full well that whatever he has for her is mere physical attraction; he finds her pretty, and nothing more. Never mind that she's intelligent, can hold her own in a fight, and that her left eye twitches when she's angry.

_Wait. Why am I thinking like this?_ The thought dawned on him, now noticing that he took note of her features down to the very freckle. Was it still his paranoia telling him that he needed to pay attention to this girl, just in case she may do something to him? That could be it. Or maybe it was something that he hasn't felt in a really long time.

_No, _he thought. Banishing all notions of the full well it could never happen.

Not now. Not ever.

* * *

Dawn broke too soon in his opinion. As he still found that he was still looking out a new window. The two were 'conveniently' placed in another room after what had happened. The manager even went to tell them that it was taken care of. Now Sora was only watching the early bird's walking the streets to go to work or walking their dogs, as well as the sun peeking over the horizon. His thoughts still plagued him and refuse to simply vanish. His main questions did nothing but expand: What was Riku doing here in the first place? Was his client after the same things as Sora? There's one way to know, and Sora won't even consider talking to his former friend again.

Before he knew it, the sun had risen to it's eight o'clock position and shined right into his blue irises. He had to shield them with his right hand. Additionally, he heard blankets rustling and came to the conclusion that his red headed companion was starting to stir. He confirmed this as he heard her stifle a yawn and in the window's reflection, he could see her morning daze embracing her features. He couldn't help but find that look almost... He didn't know how to describe it. Cute? Endearing? Neither one of those actually. He quickly dismissed it, not wanting to take that same road again.

"Morning," she said in a half asleep tone. Her eyes itching from the sun's rays as she tried to rub them away. She was met with silence and she blearily opened her eyes to see his sole concentration was outside the window. She got annoyed and he saw that in her face on the reflection. "Silly me. Of course you wouldn't respond," she sarcastically added and he still ignored her. She got even more annoyed and she let it show by placing of her hands on hips. "Is this a whole new degree of ignoring me or something?"

"Don't you have translating to do?" he asked, deciding to humor her. She let out a frustrated groan.

"Sora, I've been up for days. Don't I warrant a break every now and then?" she asked him, her hand starting cramp up as her back felt stiff.

"What do you think?" She shook her head, half expecting that answer. She blamed her grogginess for her assuming otherwise.

"Right, why do I even bother," she muttered as she removed the blankets and stood to stretch, his eyes not off her body for a second. She grabbed her robe and tied the knot around her waist. "Of course, my lack of anticipation can contribute to why this is going slowly," she said very casually.

"If that's the case, then I should shoot you dead right now." She let out a sigh.

"Why is it your threats don't bother me anymore?"

"Mercenary. Not a shrink."

"Right, okay, I'm on top of it." He pushed that sentence out of his mind, attributing that she's still waking up. "What about breakfast?"

"I still have granola bars lying around." She groaned.

"I mean _real_ food. Like pancakes, chocolate chip waffles, cereal-"

"Cereal's not real food," he pointed out.

"I know, but it's great on the go. Besides, they're a lot healthier now than they use to be." She sat down at the desk and picked up her pencil.

"And you must've realized by now of the situation you're in? You can't step outside this room."

"I know. I know. Can't you just order room service or something?"

"Too risky." She slammed her pencil and turned to glare at his back.

"You're just saying that."

"You're a spoiled brat."

"And you're an over-suspicious jackass. Now quit complaining and order us some real food."

"And why can't you do that?" He finally turned to her to stare at the back of her head. She had already picked up her pencil again and appearing to focus on her work.

"Busy translating a dead language. Needs all my attention."

"You just made that up." He finally got up from his perch and went towards the room's only phone.

"Says the person now holding the room phone."

"Only to make you shut up."

"Not likely."

"So I've noticed."

Not too long after, the room boy came to their room with the cart that held two cereal bowls as Sora gave the kid a couple of Euros. Kairi had already grabbed her bowl but she saw his gesture. Sure it was nice of him and it was totally not necessary, but that he did it regardless really spoke of his character. Giving her an idea of what he once was. It was a simple gesture that spoke volumes. However, as soon as the kid left the room, all of her thoughts of him were thrown out the window at the mere sight of his face.

Of course he's not considerate. It was just an act.

She had already sat down on her bed and eating her raisin branded treat, taking in the bland taste like she hadn't tasted it in years. It was pure bliss. Granola had certainly taken its toll and she can feel it in her physique. And it seemed to her that Sora was very much the same. When was the last time he had a real meal? She couldn't fathom a guess.

"Okay. Not the best cereal around, but definitely better than granola," she said in between bites. He was standing by the window, taking in his bites as his eyes skimmed the area around them.

"Are you used to getting everything you want?" he asked as he turned his head to her to see her shaking her head.

"Not everything."

"Really? What, did grandpa Ansem say 'no' to getting you a pony?" he smirked and she found this change in attitude almost alarming. Why the sudden interest?

"He did always say I wasn't responsible enough then. Couldn't argue with him, really. I was six," she answered him.

"But everything else?"

"Why so intrigued, Sora?" she thought to ask. She watched his eyebrows lift as he now realized his line of questions.

"F-Forget it, I don't give a rat's ass. Really," he stumbled with his words. She could almost laugh at his sudden embarrassment. She found it kind of cute. By that she was describing how he looked at the moment. Nothing more. But his hard glare on her returned in full force. "Aren't you finished eating yet?"

She glared at him as she took another bite from her cereal.

"Does it look like I'm finished?"

"Hurry it up so that you can finish your job." He took his last bite and placed the empty bowl beside the room's TV.

"My job now, huh? I have to say, this is the first job where I don't get paid," she said thoughtfully.

"You're just saying that."

"Yeah, that's dirty money, nothing honest about it." He shot her a look. Not missing an implication.

"Are you talking about me now?"

"Weren't you the one that said that _I_ have the big ego?" she shot back at him. He let out a groan.

"Are we seriously going to argue this again?"

"Unless another kunai sails through the window..." He wiped his hands over his face. Noting it was too early to even talk like this.

"I really don't get you sometimes."

"Likewise."

* * *

The day had gone both fast and slow. She didn't need to go out and grab more materials so she had to be stuck in the same room as him for the day. Her main concentration on her work and not his constant TV channel flipping. She had little done and she can feel the fatigue almost eating her away. Even her motivation was starting to dwindle. That has never happened. But here she finds her interest on some unrelated topics.

Wondering how her grandfather is doing despite that she's not allow to call him and let him know how she is doing. He must be worried about her.

Even Riku's words were playing around in her head. With the truth behind the Organization as well as him giving off vague clues that he had known Sora for a long time. She even replayed the conversation she had with him when Sora was out talking to the person that nearly impaled her with a Japanese knife.

_"Kairi? Did something happen?" she heard Riku ask. Her hand holding the hotel room's only phone while she sat on her bed. Still a little shaken on what had happened._

_"Y-Yeah. I was having another argument with Sora and all of a sudden, a kunai missed my head." She was met with silence and she worried he might have hung up. "Ri-"_

_"Don't say my name. You sure it was a kunai?" She was taken aback by his sudden answer._

_ "Yeah, I examined the mark left on the floor. And I studied Japanese weaponry so I can conclude that it was a kunai."_

_ "And where's Sora?"_

_ "Out investigating where it came from."_

_ "He already knows." She was surprised when she heard him._

_ "What do you mean?" she asked. Her eyes now focused on the two figures that were standing on the roof of the building across the street from where she was._

_ "One of the Organization's members specializes in dagger-like weapons. Unfortunately, Sora and I know her." Now she was confused._

_ "Her?"_

_ "Yeah. It's exactly what you think." She flushed as she thought of the last thing she wanted to hear: that it was a woman, that Sora and Riku knew her, and what Riku suggested in that there was something more about this woman. Maybe even along the lines of... intimate relations._

_ "O-Oh... Um... Th-They're not together anymore, right?" She was actually hoping that it weren't. Why she thought that, she'll never figure it out._

_ "Nah and you shouldn't worry about it." She let out a breath of air that she didn't even know she held as relief swelled in her mind. "Anyhow, you know why she threw a kunai at you?" Her mindset now coming back to her conversation with Riku._

_ "Apparently, Sora's being a flake with them," she answered honestly. "He's not calling them to tell them our progress."_

_ "Really? Do you know why?" He sounded surprised._

_ "He says that he doesn't want to be treated like a dog," she answered, repeating Sora's words. She was met with silence again and she can only fathom what he was thinking. "Yeah, I don't believe him either."_

_ "Well, whatever Sora's doing, it's hindering their plans." She lifted an eyebrow. Suddenly curious on what he meant._

_ "Hindering their plans?" she repeated his last sentence more to herself. But she had to stop herself from thinking further as she watched one of the figures disappear and she can only guess that it was Sora, making his way back. "Gotta go, Ri-"_

_ "Call me 'Locke' on the phone."_

Of course what stuck out the most was this mystery woman that Sora went to see. She could barely call it coincidence when the kunai that sailed through the window belonged to Sora's ex... nearly impaling the side of her head if Sora hadn't moved fast enough... the thought bringing a flutter to her chest.

He had been surprising her a lot in the last couple of days. So much that she had to do a double take on his character. He was this selfish, no nonsense, piece of scum that she would never in her life associate with. But as she opened up to him did she find something in him. Courtesy that he listened to her, the kindness he showed the room boy, and finally saving Kairi's life.

The last one shocking her the most.

She could dismiss it as his way of saving the person with the most valuable information. However, deep down, she knew there was something else to it.

"Why are you looking at me?" She shook her head, now realizing that she was staring at him. He was lying down on his back on the bed with the TV remote in his hand. All of her previous thoughts were shattered as he looked at her rather expectantly. His eyes having that shade of annoyance and she merely rolled her own eyes.

_Forget it. It could never work anyway,_ she thought, frustratingly, while she went back to her work. She also figured she may as well ask the question that has really been plaguing her. "Is there a reason why you won't call the Organization?"

"I already told you." She let out a frustrated sigh.

"And you do realize by now that I don't buy your story?" He looked at her oddly. She knew he would. "Don't underestimate me, Sora."

"Smart women think too much," he dismissed and went back to channel flipping. Making her turn back to him with a questioning look.

"What's the matter with you? I mean how did a smart guy like you fall for this sort of life style?"

"Like I'm going to tell you." He made sure to let her know how annoyed he was by the tone of his voice. She held in a sigh.

"Can you at least answer one question?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"None of your business." She wasn't going to take that.

"How many have you killed?" He finally ripped his eyes from the TV and stared directly at her. Her curious look had a determined light in it.

"Why are you asking me that?" he asked her and she only shrugged her shoulders.

"Just curious." He still looked at her. Trying to read her but everything he got was a question. "I mean, I get that you're a mercenary and that killing is a prerequisite, I guess I'm mostly curious with how many lives you've taken."

She must've been reading his mind. How else could she be this direct? Was this another one of her characteristics that he had yet to see?

"Lost count," he finally answered, hoping that this would end the discussion.

"I don't believe you." He lifted an eyebrow at her. Could she see through him now?

"Why not?"

"You look like the type that doesn't forget the faces you've killed." How could she get him that quick? Regardless, he'd never answer.

"What have I told you about romanticizing me?" He gave an irritated glare, reminding her of what he said when they first met. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine. Don't answer my question." She turned back to work like the conversation never took. He continued to stare curiously at her. What peeked this line of questions? It annoyed him that she was asking all this and giving no reason behind them. But what really annoyed him was how she can just dig in and plant thoughts that he would never think of. In his experience, women were always this manipulative. Making men tell the truth and go shopping with them against their will. He had the idea that this was what she was trying to do.

However, he could sense how tired she was in her voice. When his eyes raked her body, he could see that it was a lot stiffer than when they first met. He could tell that she use to exercise frequently until a few weeks ago. Her body was aching for a run and he wasn't that far behind on that thought either. His muscles were stiff from lying around and his legs were tired from sitting for so long.

Suffice to say, exhaustion was catching up to the both of them. That was the excuse for what he was going to tell her next.

"Forty-two." She turned back to him after he said it, her eyebrows lowered to study him as his blank stare told her everything about that alarming number... almost telling her place and that she might become number forty-three. She would've believed that if it weren't for the recent events.

"You really are a professional. You don't feel a thing, do you?" He didn't answer her, his expression still as blank as a sheet of paper. She put on a gentle smile in response. "I wish I could say that I hate you for it, but... you saved me." Now it was his turn to be surprised.

"Huh?" he asked. Wondering what on Earth she was talking about.

"That kunai... it would've killed me if you hadn't floored me. So, thank you... for saving my life." He looked at her strangely. A completely foreign feeling rising in his chest. He had no idea how to respond. A small laugh escaped her as she watched his face twist and contort in confusion. "Feels weird doesn't it?"

His original stature finally returning to him, but her words simply refused to leave his mind.

"I'm going to bed," he said as he turned off the TV and took his shirt off. Lifting the bed covers over his body and lying down on his side. She gave him an amused look. He almost looked like a child as he said that.

_Maybe... No. Not in this life._

* * *

Yet again she couldn't find herself to go to sleep. She honestly tried and found it to be utterly hopeless. Her critical mind couldn't stop thinking.

...thinking of the message that was left behind by the ancient Greeks or Romans...

...thinking of how disturbed she truly was that she was nearly killed today...

...and most importantly, Riku's call.

She kept on replaying her conversation like a skipping record. Going over every detail and making sure she didn't miss a thing. Earlier, she was only thinking about the mysterious woman that he had mentioned, now it was on another important fact that he brought up.

On Sora's refusal to cooperate with his employers; Riku had told her that the reason behind it was that he was up to something. What? She never had the opportunity to ask. Could she ask Sora? Not likely, for she knew his answer: either another way of saying shut up or just staying silent.

"What are you planning?" she asked aloud. Thinking he had fallen asleep along time ago. She was sitting up on her bed, the only illumination coming from the street lamp that was precariously placed outside their window.

"None of your business." She was startled when she heard him respond. She let out a breath of air and mentally cursed at him for surprising her.

"How long have you been awake?" she finally asked as she watched him starting to sit up on his own bed.

"Never really went to sleep." She would be amused by what he said, but she held it in.

"You always have trouble sleeping?"

"The night is a perfect chance to kill me."

"Ugh, you're so paranoid," she groaned.

"Says the girl that hit me with a coat rack a few weeks ago." She looked sheepishly down at the floor. Nearly forgetting how they first met. "Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

She looked back up to him as he was looking curiously at her.

"Why? You don't care," she stated and he merely shrugged.

"So sue me for being curious." Irritation started to grow within her. He has never shown curiosity when it came to her, so why start now?

"Curious? _Now_ you're curious?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

"You got a problem?"

"My problem is that I shared with you a piece of my past and you just completely disregarded it. You don't share anything with me. Treat me like I'm nothing more than a valuable resource for information." Her accusing tone made his anger double over. "I'm grateful that you've saved my life, but you did it because of that reason. So why should I treat you any differently than the way you've treated me."

"Shut up!" He yelled as he sprung out of his bed and landed on hers. His legs swung over her waist, straddling her. His hands on her's and his face a mere inch from her nose. "_Nobody _treats me like shit and that should go _especially_ for you," he hissed at her and she didn't even flinch. Holding her ground and not wavering from his ice cold stare.

"Then don't treat me like shit," she hissed back.

"Not. Gonna. Happen," he said slowly, tilting his head with each word.

"Then I'm gonna act this way until you stop." He let out a frustrated growl as he released her hands. Wiping them over his frustrated face.

"For a smart woman, you sure are acting stupid," he let out a defeated sigh.

"I call it self defense." He lowered his hands while opening his eyes. The first thing they landed on was her own eyes. He never took the time to see that they were actually violet in color. He merely thought that they were a deep blue, but a closer inspection proved otherwise.

Then he had noticed that she was staring at him as well. A foreign look embraced her face and he found that he couldn't stay away from it. Trying to figure out why she was looking at him like that.

"What?" he asked, almost breathlessly. It was then that he remembered his position: straddling over her waist, shirtless, and his nose only a few centimeters from hers. That odd feeling that he felt earlier was returning to his chest and her face... That look was almost... inviting. Following all his instincts, he leaned forward, almost hoping he could have another taste of her lips. He could feel her breath overlapping his, driving him forward even more. His lips almost touched hers.

Then he felt a sudden shift and cool air splashed his face.

He opened his eyes, which he had no idea that they were shut, and found that Kairi had turned her face in the last second, her face very red and almost looking shameful. He had realized what he tried to do as he pulled back and leaned on his feet. His hand covering his face, also filled with shame and couldn't believe how low he has gotten.

"Sorry," he heard her mumble as he took his hand away from his face.

"No... Uh... Sorry," he stumbled and very slowly, he swung his leg back and completely got off her bed. He was now only standing with his back to her. "Get some sleep, you're gonna need it," he added as he walked to his bed and proceeded to lie down. He covered his body with the cover and he heard her shift and he guessed that her back was facing towards him. He couldn't blame her. He felt the need to do the same as well.

* * *

Got a little steamy at the end, huh?

Thanks to: **ash-nobody** and **Mr. Eclipse** for leaving reviews for chapter 3 as well as everyone else who took the time to read and story alerting. But the biggest thanks goes to **Dmajorboss** of DA for editing this chapter. He's a very good friend of mine and have been friends for over six years now.

Thanks for reading this and now you know what to do. Click on the review button and give me your thoughts/opinions/criticism/flames (the flames will be used to make my dinner tomorrow.)


	5. The Riddle

−5−  
The Riddle

Two days have passed since that 'dreadful' moment, as he likes to call it. The previous day was met with silence as she worked while he did sit ups and push ups in the room. Not once speaking up as the heaviness of what had happened clouded their minds. Questions of what on Earth they were thinking kept repeating: why it happened and the guilt of pursuing remained in their stomachs. The silence had continued well into the night and when morning broke did the nature of normalcy somewhat returned.

He figured that, if she wasn't going to talk about it, he sure as hell wouldn't... which reminded him of another thing: it had been weeks since she first received the tablet and she had yet to translate the entire thing. The slab was only the size of his palm; surely she would've finished it by now. To that end, he stopped his sit-up at one hundred nineteen and gave the back of her head a suspicious look.

"Why's it taking so long?" he asked and he watched as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Translating a dead language takes time." It was then that he decided to get up from his position on the floor and walked slowly to her. She heard him approach and decided not to look at him.

"I know that. But somehow, I have a feeling that it shouldn't take this long." Without warning, he pushed the chair out with her still in it.

"Hey!" she yelled. She felt pressure on her hands as they were pressed against the arm rests. She looked and saw his hands tightly gripping hers. She directed her eyes up and saw his stormy pair staring down at her, his glare telling her that he had figured out what she had been _really_ doing.

"You think I'm an idiot? That I don't recognize someone stalling when I see it?" She chose not to answer him and it was all he needed. "I've been around this game for a long time, Farron. Don't _think_ for a second that you could trick me." She found that laughable.

"You're one to talk. You're planning something. I don't know what it is, but from what I've seen and heard, you're stalling the Organization too." He couldn't help the smirk playing on his lips.

"You really are a smart woman," he commented, earning a smile from her and probably thinking that it was a compliment. "So what's it say?" He nodded his head to the desk and she followed his nod to the tablet. She turned back to him with renewed determination.

"Not until you tell me what you're planning." He let out a low chuckle.

"Is that all you want to know?"

"Yes. I deserve to know."

"I'd say you're more persistent than deserving."

"I'm persistent for knowledge." He now realized what would be an argument had diminished and replaced with a normal conversation. He found his hands had loosened their grip on hers and he was once again captured by her violet eyes.

_How do we do this? No!_ He abruptly let go of her hands and wiped his face with both his hands as she looked embarrassed herself. "So... you want to know what I'm planning?"

"Uh, yeah. I want to know," she responded to his hesitation.

"You really are a spoiled brat," he said humorously as he removed his hands from his face. She looked expectantly up at him, waiting for him to answer her dying question. Which she now knows she'll get as soon as she saw the look on his face turned serious. "I'm planning to get to the sword before the Organization does."

She arched an eyebrow up at him.

"What?" she asked.

"You heard me." She was still questioning him before it finally dawned on her.

"Oh wait... the jewel... right?" He didn't answer her. Not surprised that she would think so low of him. "Of course. I should've seen that coming. That's all you care about really."

Frustrated with her assumptions, he decided to tell her the truth.

"It's not so much about money. If this thing is real, I don't trust it in the possession of assassins and murderers." She scoffed at him.

"Why do you care? They're paying you."

"Yeah, but there are advantages to having a 4.0 GPA and no, it's not what you think." She smiled at his humor. "So, I'd say that we'd be even if you tell me what that tablet says." She let out a low laugh.

"You're not one to bargain, are you?" He answered her with a knowing look. "Okay. But you won't like it though." She got up from her seat and went back to the desk, searching through the papers for the one that she needed.

"Didn't you say it was a riddle?"

"Well... Yeah. I think it's better for you to read." She pulled up a small section of paper and handed it to him. He took it from her and saw four lines written on it. He started to read.

_ The treasures of the city of fire.  
__Markers shown of strife.  
__Do not trust the Eye.  
__The ash left tells the secret._

"Wow, kind of dark, and so vague too." He arched an eyebrow down at the paper.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it." He agreed. His hatred for puzzles renewed.

"The treasures of the city of fire... What does it mean?" he asked her. He had figured out that the reason she took so long was that she was also trying to figure out the riddle. He admired that about her.

"What else?" she asked him and he looked back at her, expecting her to tell him. "The treasures of Troy."

"Troy?" he asked her, lowering his eyebrows.

"Yeah. The war ultimately destroyed Troy and reduced it to ashes. After that, it has been rebuilt and destroyed by their enemies over nine times. The line also indicates that raids have occurred too. Taking everything that was deemed valuable. The people had no choice but to abandon the city until thousands of years later when it was discovered." She went back to the desk and pulled up a sheet of paper that had a page of a book she copied. "According to Homer, it was a massive city and tens of thousands of people lived there."

"Huh. Death is a common theme here." She was silent and he found that odd. He looked at her and saw a distant look in her eyes. He found that look not fitting for her at all. "What's wrong?" he asked her, bringing her back to the real world.

"Oh, nothing," she said rapidly. The look not fading entirely and Sora gave her an unconvincing look. "Really. I'm fine." She was giving off the air that she wanted to drop the subject. If that's what she wanted, he'll do that.

"So, what about the rest of the riddle, you know what it means?" he asked her and he didn't miss the grateful look on her face.

"Some, but like most riddles, nothing's clear cut." She gently took the paper from his hands and read it over herself.

"Like what?"

"Markers shown of strife. That line could be talking about Eris. Seeing as to how she's the Goddess of Strife and markers usually mean a signature or a sign."

"So we gotta look for a sign from Eris, huh? That sounds like a needle in a haystack," he grumbled as he rubbed the top of his head with his hand.

"Well, we're in the right city though."

"How do you figure?" She picked up the slab of concrete and held it between her and Sora.

"The tablet is in Latin. The best place to find Latin base artifacts is here in Rome."

"And Rome is a big place, it'll take us weeks to find this sign."

"Well, the riddle does rule out some possibilities."

"Like what?" She lifted the paper again.

"Do not trust the Eye. I believe that's saying we should look in the most unlikely place. Although..." He didn't like that word nor the quizzical look on her face.

"Although what?" he pried.

"Why is Eye capitalized? Does it mean to look at a well known place? But that doesn't make sense if it's telling us to look in an unlikely place..."

"What if Eye means something else?" he asked her and she looked at him strangely. He decided to tell her his line of thinking. "Think about it. The pillar thing said 'Hidden with the eye' or something. What if they mean the same thing?" Her eyes shifted back and forth, a tell tale sign that she was thinking.

"It's possible, but we can't know for sure though."

"Okay, lets forget about that line for now and go to the last one," he suggested and she was all for it. She looked back down at the last line.

"The ash left tells the secret. That kind of coincides with the first line, only with a little more mystery."

"Maybe the ruins of Troy is where the sword is," he suggested.

"Not likely."

"Why not?"

"Troy's a big place. No, the clue wouldn't be that blunt."

"So what do you think?" Her eyes were shifting again.

"I think that line is a way to lead us to the sword."

"Huh. The Gods really know how to keep something to themselves," he muttered, a question surfacing. "Hey, Farron?" She looked up at him as she was brought out of her own line of thinking. "What if this clue just leads to another clue?"

That wasn't the first time she heard that question. She had heard it most of her career. And every time she was asked, she gave the only answer she knew. She walked over to her bed and sat down with a thoughtful face.

"Archeologists have been discovering secrets that lead to more secrets for hundreds of years, making them more curious when they do discover something. It may take a couple generations for something to be solved, but as long as it gets solved. That's all that matters." She looked at him and saw that all of his focus was on her. A flutter rose in her chest resulting from his stare. "A lot of people in the past have been trying to find the sword, but I believe we're the ones closest to finally finding it. And putting an end to a chapter, as well as starting a new one."

He was still staring at her intently. Listening to every word she was giving him. Not once spacing out to look at something else. Eyes concentrating only on her, building the atmosphere where only the two of them existed in.

"You are so full of it now," he stated and she broke eye contact. She shook her head while a small laugh escaped her throat.

"You really know how to ruin a moment," she said to him and he pondered for a second.

"So..." He cleared his throat. "We should probably start looking for that mark of strife or whatever."

She looked outside the window behind him and figured out it was already passed lunch hour.

"Lets do it now while there's still light out."

"You wanna know what's scary?" She raised an eyebrow at him, itching for him to continue. "I agree with you."

* * *

The hour after lunch is usually a great time for tourists to come out and explore the city they were in. That was normally when the citizens went back to work and everything started to slow down. Don't have to wait in line, get your food relatively fast, and seeing the scenery in a broader sense.

When you first look at a certain couple, you could never guess that they had ulterior motives. That they were only there to see the scenes and taste the foods that was offered. Even those that lived in the city would mistake them as outsiders as they walked down the street, occasionally looking at certain buildings and studying the architecture. One would be more fascinated than the other and every now and then they would use their camera phones to take photos of the buildings. Regular tourists you might think. Not even once guessing that the two were in fact a kidnapped archeologist and a mercenary.

"Couple of American tourists, right? Tidus?" Kairi had asked him while looking through a rack of post cards. Sora merely looked around them only to see other people walking around without a care in the world as well as a 'mark of strife'.

"That's the plan. We're dating and decided to take a trip to Italy," he said with a deadpan tone. She went back to him and continued on down the street. Looking up every now and then as well as taking pictures for later assessments.

"And seeing as how you decided to use the Japanese variation for the sun, I'll be... Yuna," she stated after she tapped her chin with an index finger in a thoughtful sense. Sora looked questioningly at her after she said it.

"Wait, Tidus is Japanese for the sun?" he asked, he had no idea of the meaning behind the name.

"Tida actually. But yeah. Your name is also Japanese for sky. Kind of go hand in hand."

"Huh," he hummed, like he had learned something new and thought it to be very interesting. "I only chose it because it sounded cool."

While in his thoughts, he jumped when he felt something snake around his arm and thought a threat has finally come to them. He looked to the source to find Kairi holding intimately to his arm and upon seeing and feeling her did he find that he actually liked it. But he still looked down at her in confusion and she only responded with a knowing glance.

"Relax. It's all for show, right?" So that what it was, just to show everyone around them that they were together and have no one question them.

"Yeah," he responded, fighting down the lump of disappointment. "Eris's sign, right?" he instead asked her, deciding to change the topic.

"Yeah. I take that you have very sharp eyes." No sooner did she say it, his eyes were already scanning the area.

"Sharper than yours, that's for sure." She gave him a sideways glare and just merely dismissed the whole thing. Instead, she thought it would be a good opportunity to ask him some of the questions she has been meaning to ask.

"So, that latest lackey, the one that nearly hit me. Do you know them?" She felt his arm stiffen after she asked.

"Why do you ask when you know I won't answer," he answered with his normal grunt.

"Just making conversation." His expression hadn't changed and she found it absolutely annoying. "So do you?" He didn't answer her and she found her frustration for him to grow even more. "Look, I get that you don't want to share anything with me, but I think I should know just in case I ever run into them and steer clear."

It was then that he finally looked down at her seeing in return her annoyed violet eyes staring intently at him, expecting of an answer from him.

"You really are full of it," he said and her persistent glare didn't waver.

"You know I'm right." He let out a low grunt. Of course she's right. She hasn't been wrong so far.

"When we're alone," he muttered and he saw the satisfied smile out of his peripheral vision. His eyes raked the street and all the buildings. As well as the people, in case more Organization lackeys decided join the party. Then his eyes found a sign that the two were looking for. Halting in place and causing Kairi to look at him. "Look."

She followed his line of sight. She saw a shop that had a golden apple painted on the window as well as a sign hanging outside. Eris was well known for throwing golden apples, resulting in chaos.

"That's as close to the sign as we can get," she said as she used his phone and took a picture of it. It was yet another detail popping up as she read the sign below the apple. "And look at the store," she told him and she could laugh at his crestfallen face as he saw the hanging meat in the window.

"A butcher shop... you've got to be kidding me."

"It's as unlikely as you can get. A bit ironic too." She handed him back his phone and he examined the photos themselves.

"So where do we look?" he asked her as she analyzed the building.

"I'll go inside and you look around outside." She slipped out of his arm and started walking toward the building and as soon as she did, she felt a hard pressure encircle her arm.

"Hold it." She looked to the source to see Sora's hand tightly gripping her, forcing her to stop. "You're not calling the shots, I am." He pointed with his thumb to his chest and she gave him an annoyed look.

"Then you don't agree that the guy with the gun should stake out outside and that the girl who doesn't should go inside?" He stared at her dumbfounded. Where does she come off with smart ass comments like that? He glared at her as he begrudgingly let go of her.

"Go inside. Come to me if you found anything and don't smirk at me." She did exactly that as he pointed his index finger at her.

"Okay."

She turned swiftly around and walked through the front door, leaving Sora to shake his head at her.

* * *

"Tidus." He was standing in the alleyway when he heard his alias. He stared at the wall of the shop, trying to see if a brick was out of place. He turned to her as she was walking to him.

"Did you find anything?" he asked as she stood before him. Her hand running along the wall.

"Yeah, the structure of this place suggests that this wasn't always a butcher shop. Like a bookstore or a pet shop or-"

"While I'm alive," he interrupted her, clearly agitated. She remembered who she was talking to and shortened the speech in her mind.

"The apple is a mosaic on the floor. That probably inspired the owner to paint it on the window and the sign. Which means..."

"Whatever the secret is, it's underneath the butcher shop," he finished her sentence. "But lets look around just to see if there's another symbol hiding around here and if we don't find it, I come back here tonight-"

"Tonight?" she prompted as he arched an eyebrow.

"Got a problem?" he asked her and she sent him a sarcastic glare.

"Lets see, breaking an entering and vandalism when you break the floor-"

"Yuna, how long have I been doing this?" he interrupted her using her alias. She looked at his clearly annoyed look and saw that a point was going to come out of this.

"According to you, about ten years."

"And I've never been caught, so you don't have to worry about a thing." Seeing that he has made his grand point, she decided not to fight any longer. She knew she would get shot down like this every time.

"Okay, so we come back here tonight after everything here is shut down-"

"Hold it." He held up his hand to silence her. "Not we, _I_ will come here tonight. You, stay at the hotel-"

"No. I will do no such thing." She placed her foot into the ground. "Whether you like it or not, _Tidus_, I'm in this all the way. I am not going to sit around and do nothing while you go gallivanting down a strange hole to God knows what's down there."

She was fuming now. He held in a groan and mentally cursed her for being a brat.

"So you coming or what?" he asked begrudgingly. She was taken aback by the question, never expecting him to concede to her adamant plea to go with him.

"Really?" she asked, only to make sure that she had heard right. It was when he glared at her when she got her answer. "Oh, um, yes. I'm coming."

"Okay, we come back here tonight. After everything is shut down which is usually around ten or eleven o'clock and we go into the shop and break through the floor. In the meantime, lets look around and see if there's another place that has a similar symbol to make sure we found the right place."

"Okay. We can do that." They started walking out of the alleyway, her arm automatically linking with his.

A feeling of dread dropped down in her stomach and chills ran up her spine. She felt she might regret going with him after tonight.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm very sorry for the delay. I wanted to finish chapter 9 (yes, I'm that far ahead) before I put this one up.

Anyhow, I should say that this chapter and the next were once one. I had to split them up because it was WAY too long. So I guess that's why this chapter seems to end so abrupt and short and the next starts immediately after. And that the chapter was so short...

That said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Thanks to: **MHplayer749**, **Mr. Eclipse**, **ash-nobody**, **KaUiA**, and new reader, **A Different Dimension**. As well as to those that alerted/faved the story. Your feedback means a lot to me. Even just a simple praise is enough to keep me smiling. And a major thanks to **Dmajorboss** for being the awesome beta that he is and catching all the errors. His work is not easy at all (then again, neither is mine...)


	6. The Ember

**A/N: **I was thinking that I should update at least once a month. I'm writing out chapter 10 right now and if I do it in this format, I'm basically all set until September.

This picks up from where the last chapter left off and you'll see why I had to split the two in half. My creativity was also challenged in this and you can probably guess where. But this is also when everything should pick up and that the slow pacing was worth it.

That said, hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

−6−  
The Ember

The sun lazed passed the horizon, blues and yellows disappearing into a dark blue as stars started to twinkle in the sky. Street lamps lit up one by one and filled the empty street with light. The only two that didn't were the ones surrounding a particular butcher shop. They can easily be dismissed, as lamps have a tendency of breaking down after a certain amount of time. Even a police man would dismiss it as such.

Not even thinking twice that they have been tampered with.

Sora and Kairi came back to the street, donning flexible black clothes, an hour early from closing time and he used his silencer to break the lamps. An authority would also dismiss that to being the local riff raff with a sling shot.

The two had to wait in an abandoned alley behind a dumpster. Sure it wasn't the greatest smelling place, but nobody would find them there. The time was spent in silence and, in the times where Kairi wanted to started a conversation, Sora would just tell her to be quiet.

The night was pitch-black. Nothing could be seen in the area. If a mouse went by, no one would know. The two broken street lights really served the darkness and the moon wasn't out. One by one, shops were closing and all the lights were turned off. The Gods were really serving their purpose tonight.

Nothing could go wrong.

"Okay, ten minutes since the last shop shut down. You ready?" She was shocked by his sudden words. Already use to the silence and hadn't expected to hear him say anything.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she told him while she got out of her stupor. They both got up from their spots and proceeded cautiously to the street. Even though the area was pitch-black, there was still a chance of someone hearing their footsteps. When they reached the front door of the butcher shop, Sora squatted down to his knees and got his lock picking kit out.

"Now be quiet and look around. I'm going to pick the lock while you have my back. If you see somebody walking down on either end, you let me know immediately and we go find someplace to hide." He handed her a flashlight and he imagined that she nodded her head. She turned on the flashlight and focused it on the lock as he set straight to work. A whole two minutes went by and Kairi, her heart racing and body on edge, honestly felt as though it had been half an hour. Looking both ways of the street, hoping no one would turn up. Sora could somehow sense her anxiousness as it filled the air.

"Be patient... that's the number one... rule," he told her, hoping to ease her mind, as the final click reached their ears. He was quick to open the door and guiding her in. "Turn off your flashlight, don't want to attract any attention and keep an eye out the window." She did exactly that, her nerves have yet to settle.

"So how do you plan on breaking through the floor?" she asked while she was looking out the window.

"It's a butcher shop, they must have something." She mentally scoffed at him.

"Well, sorry to rain on your parade, but anything you find is going to create a lot of noise. Therefore, attracting unwanted attent-"

She was interrupted by a loud CLANG. She turned to the source, only to see Sora chipping the floor with the yellow apple tile motif and using the brass pole that holds up ropes to separate the customers from the register.

"Best to do it quickly," he said as another CLANG echoed the store. She quickly looked outside and was frantic on him to hurry it up as a few more CLANGs erupted. Pretty soon, it all came to an end as Sora finally penetrated the surface. The pole dug through the heart of the apple, creating a finger size hole in its place.

"Check it out," he said as he bent down and was soon joined by Kairi. She lit the flashlight on the area and couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Oh my God," she gasped as she placed her hand over the hole. "Feel." She grabbed Sora's hand, ignoring the flutter it caused, and allowed it to hover over the hole. He felt a breeze rise from it and lacing through his finger. "Cool air. There's a tunnel. Must be the catacombs."

"I thought they were in France." She was partially impressed by this statement, proving that he at least knew more than he looked.

"They're all over Europe. The plague devastated the entire continent."

"Huh. And the secret to the sword could be down there."

"Yeah." She reached into her own pack and took out what she needed. "Good thing we have a compass. It's a labyrinth down there-"

She was interrupted again by another CLANG. Meaning Sora went to work in expanding the hole more. So that the two could jump down more easily until finally it was. He tossed the pole aside and looked down the dark hole. He asked for her flashlight and when she gave it to him, he tossed it into the hole and heard a splashing sound almost immediately. He figured that the drop was ten to fifteen feet at best. If he braced himself for impact, he could continue walking down there unscathed.

"I'll go first, then I'll help you dow-" he never finished his sentence, because Kairi had gone ahead of him and jumped down the hole. From what he could hear from her impact to the ground, she had braced herself. "Or you go in first," he muttered, irritated and bemused at the same time.

He followed her lead and jumped down, the balls of his feet landing first and the rest of his body following behind. As soon as he straightened up, he found that he was standing in ankle deep water and Kairi already looking around with the flashlight, clearly awe-stricken.

"Look at this place, I've only been inside a fraction of the catacombs in Paris, but to be in another part of it really makes you think how huge it is," her voice echoed off the walls.

"Uh huh, so which way do we go?" he feigned disinterest. She was already ahead of him when she was flashing her light on the walls and ceiling, eventually finding another apple ahead of her, carved into the wall.

"Sora, look. Another sign." He turned to see her flashlight pointing at the symbol. At least now they knew what they were looking for. "Go down there and see if you can find another there."

He did as she suggested and went in the opposite direction. Using his own flashlight to search the walls and ceiling.

"I don't see any," he called to her.

"Looks like we're going down this way," she called back as he rejoined. Soon the two began walking in the direction the apple indicated.

They had been walking for a good while in silence. Every now and then, Kairi would make a sideways glance to him. She hadn't been caught by him yet, and she was half thankful. Mainly that she didn't want to explain herself to him. But she had also remembered what he had promised her. Now's a good time to talk about it, the only thing that was down here were the occasional human skeletons from the days of the 'Black Death' epidemic (she heard Sora silently whisper every now and then but didn't think too much of it.)

"So, that lackey, the one that almost hit me, you know them?" she asked him and he gave her an odd stare.

"What makes you think I know them?" he asked her back.

"When you saw that kunai, you looked like you recognized it. Maybe the person that threw it."

"You are _way_ too observant," he noted.

"That's something that's a part of _my_ job." He scoffed at her. "So are you going to answer my question or not?"

"What did I tell you?"

"That you'll tell me when we're alone and we can't be anymore alone than here." He had not expected that. He was actually hoping she would forget. No such luck.

"Right... Good memory."

"Thank you," she said with an arrogant smile.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"So stop changing the subject." He grumbled. This girl needs a kick in the head.

"Yeah, I know her. Name's Larxene," he decided to tell her, remembering her earlier point of how she should know in order to avoid the blond vixen.

"Her?" She feigned the question. She already knew the answer, but she didn't want Sora to catch on to that fact. Based on what Riku had told her.

"Yeah."

"Did you..." she trailed. Half dreading the answer and hoping he caught her line of thinking.

"Yeah."

"Are you still..."

"Nope."

"What happened?" She asked, now curious.

"Nothing really. It was over as soon as we hooked up."

"Oh. One night stand, right?"

"Pretty much."

"No feelings whatsoever, huh?"

"Nope."

"So then, I guess it wasn't awkward when you saw her again." She was met with silence... a type of silence that spoke volumes. Sora was one to meet someone and then they would 'have their way.' Then the next morning, they go their separate ways as if nothing ever happened. "I could never do that."

"Do what?" She hadn't realized she said her last thought out loud.

"It's a little more meaningful for me. Relationships entirely." Her face was gentle, he noticed. Not snotty or arrogant. Just soft, even with the limited light from the flashlights, he could see that she meant what she said. "This way." She pointed out another apple on the wall to their left. Indicating that they should walk in that direction now.

"You've had boyfriends then, huh?" he thought to ask.

"Yeah, a few." A tiny pang hit his chest. He didn't know where it came from, all he knew was that he didn't like it at all.

"And now?" he probed, wanting the answer more than he knew.

"None at the moment." A wash of relief came over him. Then he pondered why he felt... What was it anyway? Jealousy? Whatever it was, he was glad that it was over.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He hid a smile as he turned his head. He's not going to lie. He liked the fact that she's single. Why? He didn't care. "I know it's going to sound corny and cliché, but I guess I'm just looking for someone to sit in front of the fireplace with."

He could've easily made fun of her for such an idiotic ideal like that. In his line of work, that sort of thing is unheard of: a dream that died as soon as he joined... a dream that can never be reclaimed... and he never missed it.

However, he could see that she's yearning for that. She wanted to be the fairy tale princess who was saved by her Prince Charming at the end. Idiotic ideal is right. He knew that sort of thing doesn't exist. But for her, it was her only thing.

"And you haven't found him yet?" he thought to ask.

"I don't know." He quirked an eyebrow. He was going to ask what she meant by it until he saw another symbol on the wall on their right.

"Another one here," he pointed out to her and they started walking in that direction. An idea occurred in her head; Sora said that he had been at this for around ten years. Meaning he had a completely different life before he became a mercenary.

"You must've thought that way too. I mean when you were in high school and before you got into this lifestyle. You must've had a lot of girls lined up to you."

He had a dark look on him.

"Yeah. Before the shit hit the fan," he said with finality in his voice. She figured that it meant he was done talking about it... which was a good thing because she saw an archway just ahead of them. The apple seen carved onto the center of the arch.

"Look," she pointed with her flashlight. "That must be it."

The two crossed under the arch and came into a room. Inside was only a large pit of black soil with water draining on both sides. A wooden bucket not too far away.

"This is it? There's nothing," Sora said, every bit aggravated. All that work of breaking through the floor of a butcher shop for nothing. Kairi wasn't too sure about that. She walked over to the black pit and knelt down on one knee. She picked up a tiny piece from the edge and started examining.

"Ash? No, ember," she concluded. Then she held the piece up to her face and smelled it, surprised to find that it had a distinct smell. "Oil?"

"That's all there is in here. No writings on the wall or anything," Sora continued to complain, absolutely frustrated with the predicament that they were in. Now what are they suppose to do?

"Sora, do you have a lighter?" Kairi asked him.

"Huh?" he was completely taken aback by her question. Where did that come from?

"A lighter, do you have one?" Not sure where she's going, he reached into his pocket and took out his trusty lighter.

"Why do you need that for?" he asked as he tossed it to her.

"Just trust me." She caught it swiftly and staying knelt down, she lifted the cover and saw the tiny flame flicker to life. "Do you smoke?" she asked him, curiously.

"Not anymore." From the light of the lighter, he saw her sending him a glare, almost asking him if he was stupid. He felt his defense rise immediately. "What? You never know when you might need a gas explosion." She merely shook her head. She held the piece of ember that was in her hand and placed it over the flame. It lit and she quickly put the piece of ember back into the pit, exactly where she found it. As soon as she did it, she leapt to her feet and stepped back as the two of them watched in wonder as the flame spread throughout the pit. Lighting half the place up and the oil helped in spreading the flame quickly.

"Whoa..." he trailed, using his arm to cover his nose and mouth. She did the same with her hand.

"The ember is assembled in a way so that the height of the flames can be..." She stopped in explanation as soon as she saw his annoyed face, telling her to cut to the chase. "It's a map," she finally said as she watched him fish a rag out of his bag and ripped it in two. He handed one of the pieces to her and she accepted it. "Thanks," she told him while she wrapped the cloth around her and tied it to the back of her neck.

"Meaning..." he started as he mimicked Kairi's action with his rag.

"The ash left tells the secrets. The flames can tell us where the sword is." She studied the make-shift map before her, trying to place the area by what was in front of her.

"You see anything?" he asked, he noticed that she worked better when she said things out loud.

"It... looks like a coast. And over here, there's a ring." She pointed to the left of the pit. "It's large and it's lit in the center. That must be where the next clue is. The coast itself resembles the topography to the real Troy in modern day Turkey. Although..." She didn't like what she discovered. He could see that.

"Although what?" he pried.

"Seeing as it's a few meters off the coast-"

"It buried under miles of water. Shit," he finished the thought for her, sharing the same dread as her.

"Can't the Organization provide us with a sub or scuba equipment?" she asked curiously.

"Not likely. That's a _really_ tall order. Besides, we owe them enough as it is."

She sighed frustratingly.

"So, what, we're on our own now?" She asked him but was met with silence. She would've figured that he didn't say anything because he had no clue. However, when she looked at him, he had an alert look. "What?" She was starting to worry.

"Did you hear something?" he asked her, not sure where he was going but straining to better hear him.

"Do you guys smell smoke?" She held in a gasp as she heard a man with a high tone ask rather lazily.

"I believe it's coming this way," a man with a British accent answered him.

"You think they'll be down here?" Another man, from what Kairi could hear that he was from somewhere in New England, say.

"We shall see." This voice chills down her spine. The man sounded calm and yet conniving, calm in his endeavors and won't hesitate to kill.

"Shit," Sora breathed. Looking to Kairi with a frantic look. "Farron, fill that bucket with water and wipe out the map. I'll distract them." She was stiff in her body, but she understood him. She nodded at him and he went off without a second glance back. His footsteps could be heard from his racing feet meeting the groundwater. And no sooner had he started his trek that he was met with four men, all wearing tuxedos minus the tie, it didn't take a genius to see who these men were.

"Well if it isn't more Organization lackeys. Gotta say, you guys got the stalking thing really down," Sora remarked. His famous smirk embracing his features.

"'bout time you showed up. You almost had us worried," a man with flaming red hair and tear drop tattoos under his eyelids smirked back at him.

"Sorry to keep your investments waiting, kinda been busy lately," Sora answered.

"No kidding. What's down here anyway?" the man with a blond mullet asked, no doubt curious.

"Nothing. Just a dead end," Sora told him with a deadpan tone.

"I believe you are not getting paid to find dead ends," the other blond, British man stated. "Unless, there really _is_ something down here."

"Like I said. There's nothing."

"And the young lady?" Sora turned to the last man with champagne colored hair. His face every bit unmoved and had a killer's eyes.

"Back at the hotel. She doesn't know where I am," the brunet said. He was met with an unconvincing silence.

"You like playing with luck, Mr. Villiers?" the Brit asked.

"Luck goes both ways."

"Then why did it smell like something was burning down here?" Champagne asked him.

"I'll say. Smelled a lot like a tree mixed with oil. What _have_ you been doing down here, Mr. Villiers?" the red haired man also asked, after having a good sniff. Sora made a mental note that the flaming red head must be a pyromaniac.

"The lead led to a fire pit. Nothing else," he told them with a shrug of his shoulders.

"All the way down here?"

"Yeah."

"Luxord?" No sooner had Champagne given the order, the blond Brit had Sora's arms locked behind him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, trying to fight back against the man now called Luxord, but his efforts were in vain.

"Axel, Demyx, go investigate. If you find the girl, bring her here." The red head and the remaining blond nodded their heads and started off in the direction Sora came from.

"I told you! She's not here!" he exclaimed and both Champagne and Luxord sniggered at him.

"We took the liberty of searching your room, there's no one there." As soon as Luxord told him this, Sora's eyes widened in fear.

"KAIRI! RUN!"

* * *

Kairi had heard him loud and clear, his velvety voice laced with panic. She had never heard him with that tone and it scared her shitless. Doing as he asked, she started running in another direction. She was hoping she could use the tunnels to her advantage, turning every now and then and evading capture. She'd rather be lost forever in these tunnels than at their mitts.

What she wasn't counting on was the water that splashed from her feet. That sound alone was easy to track down.

Just as she turned another corner, she ran face first into a rather large body. She'd have fallen if it weren't for a pair of hands latching themselves onto her arms.

"Gotcha!" A cold chill ran down her spine as she realized it was a red haired man that was holding on to her. It didn't last long as she kneed him in a place where the sun doesn't shine. "Oof!" He fell over as he clutched his sensitive area and she started running again, only to run into the other lackey with a blond mullet.

"Where do you think you're going?" the young blond man asked her as he grabbed one of her wrists.

"Away from you!" She yelled at him and she grabbed the wrist that was holding on to hers and flipped him over on his back. She ran as soon as he lost his grip and didn't look back.

"She's down here!" she heard the unnaturally red haired man yell in between gasps. It was only a matter of time before they catch up to her. In the meantime, she had to find a way back to the butcher shop. Before she could even formulate a plan, she felt another pair of arms pull her in to a small space inside the wall.

"Ah!" she yelled but her mouth was quickly covered by a gloved hand.

"Shh," she heard the familiar voice shush down at her. His build was very familiar to her and yet she couldn't place it where. She couldn't think at the moment as she heard a pair of feet splashing in the water.

"Did you see her?" that nasally voice asked, no doubt belonging to the blond.

"Split up," the red head told the other and she heard the pair splash in different directions far from their hiding spot. She could feel the man that was now holding her in place had let out a breath of air.

"You okay?" she heard him ask her and she knew, without a doubt, that it was Riku that hid her from the men in black suits.

"Yeah. What're you doing down here?" she asked him.

"Following you, what else?" he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Of course he would've followed her and Sora. He was very much involved in this game as the rest of them. However, she had a feeling that Riku wasn't working for the bad guys. She didn't know where that thought came from, just a feeling. But then her thoughts drifted back to Sora and what he must be going through right now. Riku took this silence as a sign of her worrying over his former friend.

"They've finally captured him, huh?" He could feel her nod against his chest. He let out a 'tch' and figured that Sora must've been _really_ dumb to get captured so easily. But he could feel her worry over him as he had heard Sora's warning as well. "Don't worry, we'll get him back," he assured her as he squeezed back out of the small space as soon as he was sure that they were now safe. He could hear Kairi following his lead. Riku started walking in one direction, following marks that he had made on the walls, leading them to another entrance that he found.

"But if he sees you-"

"I'll explain everything to him. Then he'll kill me." She didn't find his dry humor funny at all. Her concern was only for Sora. Riku knew this. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I hope he's okay."

"He'll be just fine. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he got away by now."

"So, what now?" she decided to ask him. They needed a plan.

"First, we get out of here and hopefully, we'll meet Sora at the entrance."

"And if we don't?" Just as they reached his exit, which lead to an abandoned lot, he reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing something on it while he tucked his already lit flashlight in between his ear and shoulder.

"Then you go back to your hotel, grab everything you need, and meet me at this address." He handed the note to her and using the light from her own flashlight, she saw the address and her eyes widened as she recognized it.

"This is-"

"A safe house," he finished for her. "Then I'll go back and get Sora. We'll meet you at the address."

She took his serious tone as a promise. That he'll bring Sora back with him and that this nightmare is going to come to a close. She took that word and nodded her head at him.

"Be careful, Riku," she wished him and left through the exit and into the empty lot.

"You too."

Riku turned back around and went to find his former friend.

* * *

"Oof!" A copper taste was coming out of his mouth now, both from biting down on his tongue and whatever that was inside of him. He purposely spat some of it out and it landed on Champagne's leg. He got angry from this action and punched Sora's face.

"Tell us what you know, already," Champagne was getting a little impatient. Sora found that toying with this guy was very easy and hardly sporting.

"Like hell I'd tell you! Oof!" He earned another punch to the stomach for that.

"It would be much easier for you to tell us, Mr. Villiers." Luxord warned him, still holding him. Sora figured that he was a lot stronger than he appeared to be.

Sora let out a chuckle.

"You saying this is all you got? I'm a little disappointed, considering I've been through worse." He was punched in the face again, thinking that Champagne was not original in his torture methods.

"Distractions won't save you," Champagne warned him as well. "Besides, Axel and Demyx must've found her by now."

"Oof!" Another punch to the gut, the blood was really building up in his mouth now. He spat some out again and was annoyed that he missed Champagne's leg.

"Marluxia!" Sora heard the whiny voice of Demyx as well as the pair of splashing feet racing towards them. "We couldn't find her." Sora's head shot up a bit, relief overlapping him at the thought of Kairi escaping.

"She's probably not that far off." Champagne, now named Marluxia, told the two other men and Sora could see them shaking their heads.

"Actually, she's long gone." Everyone turned to the new voice that had joined in and saw a silver haired man staring at each one of them with a look that said that he wasn't afraid.

Sora immediately recognized him.

"Who the hell are you!" Axel asked. The newcomer now had a smirk on his face.

"The distraction!" The man threw a small round ball at them and it erupted into smoke, mid air. The Organization lackeys and Sora were blinded and Sora felt Luxord's hold on him slacken and he took that chance to slip out and punch him in the face. He then felt a sharp tug on his black shirt and he felt himself getting dragged out of the smoke field and into open air. As soon as they were out of the blind, Sora and Riku started running with the former following the latter to the exit.

Riku's the last person Sora would trust, but at the moment, he just wanted to get the hell out.

As soon as they reached the empty lot outside of the tunnels, the two men bent over and held on to their knees as they were catching their breath from all the running.

"What the hell are you doing here, Riku?" Sora asked him, glaring daggers into the taller man's back.

"What does it look like, saving your ass like always," Riku stated like it was the most obvious thing ever.

"I never asked you-"

"Yeah yeah" He waved his hand in the air. "We gotta go and meet up with Kairi." Riku straightened up and started walking. Only to stop as he realized Sora wasn't following along. He turned to find Sora's normal angry face, but genuine concern. That's something he hasn't seen on his old friend in a long time.

"Kairi? Is she really long gone?" Did Sora think... no. This is Sora. He doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone but himself. So why would he...

"Yeah. We're meeting her at the rendezvous point," Riku told him. Then he watch relief washed over the brunet. He was shocked to see Sora like this. What the hell happened?

"Why are you helping us?" Sora asked him, getting back into his aggravated attitude. That's more like it.

"Lets just say I'm doing someone a favor," Riku decided to answer, vaguely. Sora grunted as he started walking.

"We don't need your help," Sora sneered as he went past the older man. Riku grumbled. One hundred percent annoyed with Sora's irrational stubbornness.

"Really? So what were the two of you going to do? Go back to your hotel where they're just going to end up finding you again?" Sora stopped in his tracks and clutched his hands into fists. "You were never one to think things through, Sora."

Sora turned sharply to the silver haired man and was about to lash out at him when he realized he didn't have anything to yell about. Instead, he swallowed his pride and started speaking through his teeth.

"Kairi's really meeting us at the rendezvous point?" he asked, begrudgingly.

"Yeah," Riku nodded, more calmly. Almost asking for Sora to do the same.

"Lets go."

* * *

"Shit."

Kairi could see a woman pacing around the hotel's entrance upon her return. From what Sora had described to her and the mental image of her, a pang of jealousy was brought up, she figured this Larxene would be blond and dangerous looking. She was right on the money as soon as she saw the woman. But now, she knew she couldn't get through the entrance without running into this other woman. Larxene must know what Kairi looked like and was probably betting that Kairi wouldn't know about her either.

From the alleyway she was standing in, Kairi formed a plan in her head. She needed to get back to their room and retrieve all of her work and the clues without Larxene knowing. That's when she remembered that hotels normally have a back entrance for employees and as emergency exits. If she walked behind the surrounding buildings and be far down the street so that the dangerous woman wouldn't see her, let alone notice, she would get up to the room, grab the stuff, and get out and Larxene wouldn't know that she was even there.

She set that plan into action and started through the back ways (hoping some wondering murderer had gone home for the night) and was far enough down the street that no one from the hotel could actually see her and crossed it. Using those back ways and eventually coming to the hotel where she could see a loading dock with a street light lighting the area. She went up the side stairs and tested the knob to find that it was open. She let out a a sigh of relief and mentally thanked whatever God that was watching over her now. She raced up another set of stairs that lead to all the floors and came to a stop on her own. She paced down the hall way and used the key card to unlock the door. She stepped inside and started packing everything that she needed (papers, books, the clues) into a duffel bag and purposely left the key card in the room.

She had raced down the stairs and nearly stumbled a couple times before finally reaching the exit. However, when she opened the door, she did not expect to see the very same woman that was standing out at the entrance to be standing at the bottom of the stairs. The woman looked up at her and her poisonous green eyes stared almost dangerously playful up at Kairi.

"I take it you're the new squeeze. Gotta say, he's done better," her venomous voice sliced through the back alley and sent chills all over Kairi's body.

"Get out of my way," Kairi snarled down at the blond woman who was now laughing up at her.

"Or what? You gonna fight me?" She said mockingly. Kairi then took the opportunity to jump over the rail and landed swiftly on her feet. She dropped her duffel bag and faced Larxene, raising her hands and shifting her feet into a fighting stance. Larxene merely laughed at her, thinking that this was going to be quick as she got out of her position and towards Kairi. "This ought to be interesting. Careful not to break a nail, princess."

Larxene raised her own fists in front of her face and separated her legs in a steady stance. Staring almost menacingly at Kairi and she didn't even flinch. Fear did register in her mind, only the thoughts of coming out of this unscathed and reaching her destination.

Larxene was the first to move as she did a round house kick, only for Kairi to block it with her hands. She went for a punch and the red head dodged and moved the fist to the side. Larxene was getting annoyed and went for another punch to the center of Kairi's head but Kairi merely ducked and Larxene was hoping she'd do that. Landing a kick to the side of Kair's head and knocking her over. Kairi had bitten her tongue and blood started oozing out. Larxene had thought that it was over until Kairi got back up and back into her previous position.

Larxene stifled a laugh and went to her position as well. She ran towards Kairi and was going to land a punch on her face only for Kairi to duck and ram her arm into Larxene's stomach. When she stumbled back, Kairi landed a kick at the center of her chest and she landed on her back. Finding it hard to breath.

Kairi then saw the opportunity to grab her bag and started running. But not before she heard Larxene's exasperated screams.

_ "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"_

* * *

**_Special thanks to:_ Redeeming Endeavor **(special honor since his stories are awesome and I did a special piece of fanart for him a few months ago.), **ash-nobody**, **Mr. Eclipse**, and to **Dmajorboss **for beta-ing this chapter. As well as to those that took the time to read my story and added it to their favs/story alerts.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I really look forward to hearing your thoughts.


	7. The Truth

**A/N: **Bad news: I'm sick. Sore throat and a cold but I'm still standing. Good news: You get an update. An exciting one at that!

Also, L.A. Noire is really interesting. Go check it out.

* * *

−7−  
The Truth

The house was huge! So huge that it's a wonder it could stay in hiding for so long. Isolated in the middle of the woods, many questions surfaced in his mind. Who else knew about this? Who does it belong to? Some rich guy, obviously, but who would willingly donate their house to hold a couple of fugitives? Nobody he knew of that's for sure. But what Sora could figure out on sight was that this particular house hadn't been used in quite some time. He could see that some cleaning service came by every now and then, but that didn't stop him from seeing that the fridge wasn't plugged in and the mini bar was dry.

Sora walked around the house at least twice, finding it odd that it was open to them and that Riku knew about it. He noticed one of the rooms was slept in and figured that this must've been where he was staying while Sora and Kairi were at a hotel. No surprise, this was the perfect place to hide and never be found.

Two levels made up the building and it had a modern cabin style: conjoining kitchen, dining, and living area with a forty-two inch LCD screen perched on the wall, with the couch, where Riku was currently sitting on, placed on the other side of the glass coffee table. A door beneath the spiral staircase lead to the indoor swimming pool and hot tub. Only one word entered Sora's mind as he stared at everything in awe.

Loaded.

He heard the front door's knob turning and he instinctively reached for his side and forgot that the Organization lackeys took his gun. But he relaxed as soon as he saw the familiar red head walk through the threshold. When she looked up and upon meeting his face, relief washed over her and then concern entered her mind.

"Sora!" She raced through the landing and stood before him. Her eyes lingering on the bruise on his cheek, the shiner welling up, and his cut lower lip. He was also looking her over and saw a little red around the side of her mouth.

"You okay?" he asked her, tempted to bring his hand to touch the red spot on her face.

"Yeah. But you look like hell." He let out an easy laugh.

"I've been through worse," he informed her. Studying the forming bruise on her cheek. He has seen plenty of bruises like it, but he knew this one. "Kairi... Did Larxene...?"

"Yeah, she was there. I fought her and I guess I got away with a few scratches." He looked down at her, both his eyebrows lifted.

"You beat Larxene?" She smiled bashfully as he gave her a look that told her that he was mildly impressed. "Wow. She's a really good fighter. You must've done a number on her as well."

She smiled up at him, acknowledging his compliment.

"If you two are finished, I'd like to be included in your discoveries." The two were interrupted from their gazing by Riku's voice. As soon as Sora heard him, he was ready to throw a punch at him.

"Like we're going to tell you-"

"Sora, please." Kairi interrupted him with a hand on his shoulder. She walked over to where Riku was sitting and looked sternly down at him as he reclined on the couch. "Riku, why did you have us meet here?"

He averted his eyes from hers, the piercing violet gaze drilling a hole into his forehead, demanding answers that only he can answer.

"I don't know what you mean," he feigned ignorance and it didn't go past Kairi.

"Yes you do," she shot at him. Sora looked between the two in confusion.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" he asked. Kairi turned to him with both a knowing and stern look.

"This is my grandfather's summer home." It didn't take him long to put two and two together. With that in mind, Sora turned back to the silver haired man with the same demanding look that Kairi had.

"Is that who you're working for, Riku?" he demanded rather than asked, only to see that Riku hadn't budged an inch.

"Like I said, I'm doing someone a favor," he simply answered, basically confirming the suspicion inside Sora and Kairi's heads.

"But why did Ansem come to you?" Kairi asked him. Riku still didn't look up to her.

"He said you wouldn't understand his intentions," he muttered, earning a downcast look from her. Sora merely 'tch'ed

"I knew there was something fishy about him," he scowled, not making Kairi feel any better at all.

"I-Is he involved?" she stammered, dreading the answer.

"He is, in a way," Riku told them, finally rising from the couch, towering over the two before him and looking directly down at Kairi. "He called me to keep an eye on you."

"What?" He earned a confused look from her and a glare from Sora. They both wanted answers and Riku couldn't tell them. Not yet.

He let out an irritated sigh.

"Look, I know when not to stick my nose in family business." He proceeded to walk past them without even looking at them. "Call him. He'll explain everything," he called as he climbed up the stairs and went on to his room, leaving the two of them to stare at him.

Sora and Kairi didn't buy his act.

* * *

He wish he could have a beer right now.

He saw that the place was dry as soon as he arrived. He could've gone into town and bought a bottle or two, but he didn't want to be impaired on his mission. But after the day he had, he _really_ wished he could've gone to the town anyway.

So, instead, he stood outside and looked up at the stars. His 'substitute drink' as he liked to call it. For some odd reason, he always preferred the night rather than the day. Sure he liked the lively nature that the sun brought everyday, but there was something about the night that always attracted him. Was it how the moon's glow lit everything with brilliance, or was it the stars and how they seemed to tell a story that ancient astronomers seemed to tell by connecting the dots to form a picture? Thinking the Gods rearranged them just that way in honor of other Gods and Goddesses as well as people that left a mark in their world.

A gentle breeze blew onto his exposed skin and he loved the biting chill. It stimulated every muscle in his body and made his mind even more alert, which was why when he heard the glass door sliding behind him. He reached for his gun and pointed it to Sora's glaring eyes. He settled the gun back to the small of his back and let out a breath of air. He hated this job sometimes.

"You got any extras?" he heard Sora ask him. He nodded, knowing that the members in the tunnel took Sora's guns away.

He then stood beside Riku, glare not ceasing. Riku already knew that Sora had more to say than just that. The history between the two men told him levels that he could only read.

He really needed a beer right now.

"What do you want?" Riku thought to ask, already reading Sora's mind.

"I find it hard to believe that you only want to help," Sora snarled at him.

"And why is that?" Riku continued to ask.

"Maybe because you betrayed me," Sora spat him at him, dripping with sarcasm. Riku scoffed at him, his anger levels rising.

"I didn't betray anyone; I just got out when things turned for the worse!"

"Yeah, and left me to deal with the left over shit!" Sora yelled, now standing before the taller man with fury in his eyes. Riku looking down on him, equally as angry.

"Don't pin it all on me, Sora! You're just upset that you didn't get out sooner!"

"That's not what happened!"

"Really! Looks that way to me!"

"Guys!" They jumped at the feminine yell. They turned to see Kairi looking at the two like an elementary school teacher scolding a couple of kids who refuse to share their toys.

"What do you want?" Sora asked her, rather rudely. For that, she glowered at him.

"I'm going to call Ansem, I'd like the both of you to be with me." Riku nodded at her, he was fine with that. Sora, on the other hand, 'tch'ed her and continued to walk passed her.

"This better be quick," he muttered, letting the two behind him know that he was every bit irritated.

* * *

"Kairi! I see that you've found time to contact me," they were greeted with Ansem's face on the mansion's lone computer screen and his cheerful voice booming through the speakers. Kairi installed a web cam on it way back when she was in college and kept contact with a friend or two during her summer vacations. It was usually around the time when both ends of the Atlantic were awake. Even then, she enjoyed talking to them. Now, whenever she was granted vacation, she'd take a trip out here and talk to Naminé using the web cam.

"Ansem, I'm happy to see you too," Kairi told her grandfather. She watched his aging face scan the room she was in and spotted Riku standing behind her as he gave his employer a slight wave.

"And I see my hired help has contacted you." She looked over her shoulder up at Riku.

"Yeah..." she trailed. Knowing that Ansem knew what was going on and that he withheld information from her. She found the whole thing confusing and she was dying to know what was going on and how her grandfather was involved.

"Kairi, I understand you must have a lot of questions for me," Ansem told her, seemingly reading her mind.

"I do," she confirmed. "How did you-"

"Lets start with how much you know," Sora's voice interrupted her as he stood in the background, leaning against the wall. She glared back and huffed for his rudeness. But she was surprised by Ansem's hearty laugh.

"Your reputation proceeds you, Sora." Sora stared wide eyed at the screen.

"How did you-"

"I told him about you," Riku now interrupted him, sending a knowing look to the brunet.

"And I also know what you're looking for."

The three turned back to the screen, with Sora and Kairi looking surprised at him.

"Ansem?" Kairi asked for his attention. The dark gaze he gave them said more words than he could say. He knew everything.

"The sword is a priceless artifact, it's my duty to know of it and of those that would want it for their own purposes."

"So you knew the Organization is after it," Sora inclined.

"Indeed. I'm sorry to have mislead you, but I did it to protect you," Ansem directed this statement toward his only granddaughter.

"Protect me?" she inquired, even more confused.

"Kairi... You are a brilliant woman; I'd hate to see someone take advantage of that. Your father was no different. He has had many threats to decipher artifacts, but he never came through."

"Why not?" This information was new to her. He never talked about her parents business that much. She always figured that Ansem was still grieving from the loss of his own son. Now she figured out that he hasn't told her because she was in a similar situation.

"Because of you and your mother, of course. He could never risk your well being for the benefit of others."

"That what killed them, isn't it?" She asked, grievously, half knowing the answer.

"I honestly wish I knew."

She looked away from the computer screen as sadness etched her features. Sora could only see that her shoulders had slumped and he knew that this was a very touchy subject.

"How long have you known Riku?" he intruded and he saw Kairi's head shot up to glare at him.

"Sora-!"

"It's all right, Kairi," Ansem's deep voice boomed, acquiring her attention once more. "I've known Mr. Estheim for quite some time. When one of my informants told me about the Organization's whereabouts was when I contacted him. He didn't agree at first, but I eventually came through. His mission was to guard you."

"Guard me?" she inquired. Half annoyed with the idea that she needed outside protection.

"He agreed to pay me if I kept my eye on you," Riku told her. "I tried to save you that night when I saw Sora, and you can fathom what happened next." He earned a questioning look from her and a heated glare from Sora.

_Pervert, _Sora thought bitterly, hating the very idea of Riku following Kairi around for what seems to be months.

"Now that only leaves you, Sora." He was brought out of his thoughts with Ansem's voice. He looked around and saw the three people around him were looking at him expectantly.

"About what?" he asked, not really sure of what's going on.

"The choice your about to make," Ansem told him. "We can't let the Organization have the sword. No matter what."

Sora stared at the three of them. Eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Do they really expect him to go willingly with their plans?

"Sora." He looked down at Kairi to see her pleading look. "You said so yourself that you didn't want anyone getting hurt, and that you didn't want the Organization to have something like this."

It was true that he said that. However, when he said it, it was mostly out of his own selfish needs. They don't get the sword, he won't get hurt. Now it's only been they don't get the sword, he gets five men pounding down on him.

He then started to think of the choice that was presented before him. Thinking back on it and all the grief he had to endure, he gave his answer.

"You said I have a choice to make. Thing is, I never once had a choice," he said with finality. Making him leave the room and going up the stairs to a vacant room.

Kairi heard the grief in his voice and had every urge to go after him. She was stopped, however, by a strong gloved hand on her shoulder. She turned to look up Riku's sympathetic stare.

"Leave him alone. He's got a lot to think about."

* * *

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, the moon's light splashing in through the window, with his hands covering his face. He didn't ask for any of this. None at all. When he picked up that phone the only thing he heard was that he would be paid half a million dollars to retrieve an artifact. It should've been a simple job. Break in, steal it, and get out. No one else was suppose to be there... no one to stop him.

No one to hit him with a coat rack.

Kairi wasn't supposed to be there. He wasn't supposed to pick up her unconscious body. He wasn't supposed to kidnap her.

And he did it anyway.

If he hadn't, he'd deliver the artifact, get his money, and continue on living his life.

He reached down his shirt and pulled on his necklace chain. He lifted it up and over his head until the crown pendant was sitting on his open palm. He looked down at the crown as if trying to search for the answers.

What should he do now?

His thoughts were interrupted by knocking sounds from the door.

"Go away," Sora called out gruffly, replacing his necklace over his head and dropping the pendant down his shirt. The knocking persisted until the person on the other side decided to take the matter into their own hands. They turned the door knob and light footsteps echoed into the room. "I said go away," he called out again.

"Do you honestly think I'd listen?" he heard Kairi's voice as she entered the room.

"I could kill you, y'know," he answered with a deadpan tone.

"You won't though."

"And what makes you think that?" he asked her, looking at her and receiving a caring smile in return.

"Because I know you."

"You don't know me at all," he scoffed at her, looking down at the floor again.

"You finally called me 'Kairi'," she told him, now standing before him.

"Dire situation. It was called for." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You were concerned."

"No. You're a valuable resource, I was protecting that."

"Sora." She got down on her knees so that she could see his face, staring almost daringly at him. "You are a horrible liar."

He couldn't avoid those violet eyes staring intently up at him. The mere sight of them made him want to do something that he would most definitely regret.

"You shouldn't be in here," he warned her.

"Says who?"

"You shouldn't anyway."

"I'm not leaving." He held in a curse from her stubbornness.

"And why's that?"

"You push people away."

"Thanks, Dr. Phil," he 'tch'ed at her. It was then that she grabbed his hands with her own.

"If you continue being hostile towards the people that are worried about you, you'll just continue to be angry at yourself and hurting those around you."

_She sounds exactly like an 'After School Special',_ he thought. He wanted to tell her that but held it in instead. Mostly from those damned violet eyes.

"What happened to you that was so bad that you lost trust in people?" That question again. He wanted to shove her and storm out of the room. Only a select few knew of this past and he planned to keep it that way until the day he finally gets killed.

But Kairi...

Something about her that wanted to make him throw everything out the window. Was it those pleading eyes? The way her lips parted? The firm grasp she had on his hands? He didn't know how or why, he just knew that he was compelled by this woman.

"My old man abandoned us before I was born," he finally told her in a near whisper. "I've asked my mom questions all my life about him. What he was like and all that shit. Y'know what she always told me?" She just sat there, silently encouraging him to continue. "'Don't think about him.' I never understood what she meant by that until later." He took in a breath of air. "I decided after I graduated High School that I would track him down. Riku came along. Said that's what best friends do."

"You were best friends?" she felt the need to ask. He nodded.

"Yeah. Anyway, I finally found him, drinking his life away in a seedy bar. Y'know what the first words he said to me? 'What do you want, brat?' Then I told him that I'm his son and he said that he didn't have a son. So I went on and told him about mom and _that_ was when he remembered. Turned out that he was actually a con artist. Took everything my mom ever had. Even went as far as to call her a whore." He shook his head and 'tch'ed at the memory. "God, he pissed me off so badly, I didn't even want to come home. The only time I ever did was when my mom died.

"Anyhow, I didn't go to college that autumn. Didn't feel like it, y'know? So I spent my time roaming around. Riku was with me the whole time. Until we met this guy... his name was Xehanort." She gasped as she heard the name. Removing one of her hands to cover her mouth in horror. "Yeah, I knew you'd recognize his name. Thing is I met him before he was on every news station on the planet. He took us under his wing and taught us everything we knew. Said that I had the skills of a detective. Probably because that's what I wanted to do instead of this." A chill went down her spine as she lowered her hand. Never in her life would she have ever guessed that Sora knew that... horrible human being. "Riku was good too, of course. But I think he was the first out of both of us to grow a conscience. Got into a huge argument that ultimately ended our friendship. Both fortunately and unfortunately, that was when Xehanort got caught. Riku got out before it was too late, while I... I had to go into hiding for a very long time. I can never forgive him for that.

"A couple years ago, I ran into my old man again. He didn't recognize me at first, but I was this close to killing him on the spot." He demonstrated by lifting his free hand and used the index and thumb and had a centimeter of space between them. "I know it sounds horrible for wanting to kill my own father, but I hated him so much. For everything he put me and mom through. He actually had the gall to call me an accident." He finally noticed the lace of sadness in her eyes. An emotion that he mistaken to be pity. "Don't make that face," he said gruffly which caught her attention. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. I don't need pity from anyone."

Her hand that was still on his gave a reassuring squeeze, hopefully getting the message that she didn't mean anything by it.

"It's horrible what you went through, I understand. If I went through something like that, I'd be pretty hostile too," she tried to sympathize with him. He merely just looked down on her.

"But you're not. You got lucky."

"No. I didn't." He gave her a confused look as she gave him a reassuring smile. "Orphan girl, remember?"

He cracked a smile for the first time that night. Once again captivated by the woman kneeling before him.

"So, we're both screwed up then." A light giggle escaped her.

"I'd say so," she said in a near whisper.

Suddenly, he found himself leaning down and she was leaning up almost hesitantly. Finding the attraction strong and neither made a move to pull away.

"Sora! Kairi! C'mon! Pack up! We have to get out of here!" They jumped back at the sound of Riku's booming voice.

"Damn it..." Sora muttered. Absolutely irritated with the timing as he got up and begrudgingly opened the room door. "What now, Riku?" he asked as soon as he saw the silver hair. His tone changing quickly as he saw the older man's urgent face.

"They found us."

* * *

"How on Earth did they find us?" Kairi asked in a rushed voice, stumbling around in the dark woods. Dusk was beginning to break from the mountain peaks, leaving them with very little time to maneuver around without being seen.

"Must've done a background check on you, Kairi," Riku answered, guessing that the Organization must've known that she had spent her summers at the house.

"What? So that means-"

"They know everything there is to know about you," Sora finished for her with dread etched in his voice.

"Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay," Kairi started repeating over and over again after finally stopping when they were a good distance away from the house.

"Relax, they're not following us," Sora tried to reassure her, after looking back and not hearing a twig snap.

"Are you sure?" she asked, feeling more panic and dread than a few minutes ago.

"Positive."

"Regardless, they can still track us here," Riku noted, looking up at the sky. It kept getting brighter and brighter as the sun was rising.

"Right, we should get rid of our cell phones and try to move as discretely as possible."

"I can get us back to the city," Kairi picked up on that as Sora looked at her like he didn't believe her.

"And how can you do that?" he asked while she gave him an annoyed look.

"I spent a lot summers here; I use to play in these woods and go down to the city from here. So out of the three of us, I know this area the best."

"Good enough for me," Riku spoke up, finally looking down on them. "The sun will be up by the time we get down there."

"So we better move out now," Sora said as he took out his and Kairi's phone out of his pocket. Riku took his own out as well and the two of them tossed the phones in different directions. Kairi silently whimpered as she watched her phone sail away from them. Sora caught her stare. "C'mon, Kairi, you know it had to be done," he told her as she begrudgingly nodded her head.

Without another hesitation, the three started off further into the woods and away from their pursuers.

* * *

She watched as the sun rose slowly over the tree tops, another miserable day approaching. Sure, the room she was in was nicely furnished and the view from where she sat was breathtaking. However, this wasn't a vacation she asked for, it was a prison.

She had come to London with hopes of ambushing Kairi and getting her best friend to answer her questions. She was happy when she found Kairi and yet angered by the fact that she took a trip and didn't bother to tell her friend about it. Now she found that to be her biggest regret.

Not too long after she had left Oxford, she had been ambushed. All she could remember was someone grabbing her arm and dragging her into an alleyway. The next thing she knew she woke up in this room with a bad headache. A man came into the room every now and then to serve her breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the man that were serving her were different every time. And any time someone would come in, she bombarded them with questions. After a while, she learned that no one would answer them and was now in a vow of silence.

And here she was, watching as morning peered over her as she sat on the bed. Feeling miserable and trapped and the white walls were not helping her feel any better.

Her thoughts were stirred as she heard a knock on the door. She didn't say anything but watched as the knob turned and the door opening. In came a man with blond hair, darker than hers, that resembled an ocean's wave and dark blue eyes, a white tee shirt with black trimmings covered his upper body with a pair regular blue jeans. His feet were in black and red skater shoes and a silver shuriken hung from around his neck. He gave off the impression that he was from California, she figured.

He was carrying a tray in his hands and she saw him smiling at her as he walked over to the side of her bed.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," he told her as he set the tray down on the bedside table. Seeing her concerned look, his smile was reassuring. "See?" She looked down at the tray and saw pancakes, smothered with syrup, a bowl of strawberries next to the plate, a fork, and a glass of milk. She still remained silent. The last few men had given her dirty looks like she was a piece of nothing. As far as she was concerned, this young man was no different. He read that expression on her face and he semi understood her silence. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me. If I were you, I wouldn't talk to me either." She shot him a look. How was he able to read her that easily? "Just know that I'm not your enemy."

She looked at him indifferently. What was he playing at?

"If you're not my enemy, then why are you with them?" she finally asked him, her drive for wanting answers reignited.

"Benefits, I suppose," he simply answered as he crossed his arms over his chest. She gave him a confused look and he could understand why. "Name's Roxas Almesy," he decided to tell her, reaching a hand out to her. She merely stared at it. Unsure of what she should do. His mannerisms are totally confusing her. All the other members have been treating her like a bad stain on the carpet. Why was he acting this way to her? Again, he read that expression on her and understood her behavior. Taking his hand back and recrossing his arms. "It's all right if you don't want to tell me your name."

"You probably know what it is anyway," she scoffed at him.

"Not really." She was shocked by his answer. What did he mean? "My orders are to bring breakfast to you. They didn't tell me anything other than that."

She found that very strange. She thought that everyone in this mansion (she figured out that she must've been staying in a mansion considering the room she was in) knew everything about her. Perhaps there are some that are not told or don't wish to know for one reason or another.

Another thing she found strange was the way this man, Roxas, was treating her... one human being to another... nothing in between. Suffice to say, she was happy to talk to someone for a change rather than sketching on the room's lone stationary (her only source of entertainment.)

"It's Naminé Trepe," she told him, watching as surprise trace his eyes and then settling for a smile.

"Very pretty name," he responded as a light blush highlighted her cheeks. "Well, be seeing around, Naminé." He walked toward the door after he waved at her. Closing the door behind him and hearing the lock click.

She found Roxas to be a very interesting person. She was hoping that she would talk to him again and get the answers she wanted to hear.

Her stomach gave a low growl as she smelled the fresh pancakes for the first time. As much as she hated to accept something from her kidnappers, she still needed to survive.

She started eating not too long after and as soon as she reached over to grab the glass of milk and lifted it up, she found a piece of paper hiding underneath the glass. She picked up the paper as soon as she put the glass down and unfolded it.

Shock and confusion came across her features as she read the note.

_I'm on your side._

* * *

**A/N:** Real exciting stuff, huh? So now you know more about Sora and the hell he had to go through. As well as some _interesting_ developments. Where is this all going to go? You'll just have to wait and see.

_**Special thanks to: **_**tennisdesi91**, **Redeeming Endeavor**, **Mr. Eclipse**, **CapriciousXXIISerenader**, and **ash-nobody** for the kind words and **Dmajorboss** for beta-ing the chapter. As well anyone else that took the time to read the story and adding it to their alerts/favorites. It is very much appreciated.

I look forward to hearing your kind reviews!


	8. The Fear

−8−  
The Fear

"No one's here," the red haired pyro shouted as he approached the man with the champagne colored hair as he groaned in pure frustration. The group was either standing outside, searching inside, or out in the woods. Trying, in vain, to look for their three targets.

"Search the woods then, and don't come back until you've found them," Marluxia barked. Axel merely shook his head.

"Sorry, Mar, but I really think they're long gone."

"I'll say, you'd think a place like this would have booze!" The two men looked up to see Larxene shouting down at them from the second floor balcony.

"Probably doesn't spend that much time here anymore," a British accent inquired as he joined in, coming out through the front door.

"Hey!" They all turned to see the blond mullet running towards them with an object in his hand. "This was just shot at my head in the woods." Demyx held out a magenta colored cell phone. There was no doubt in Marluxia's mind that it belonged to the dear Doctor.

"They're not far then," Marluxia stated, with a determined edge to his voice. Axel 'tsk'ed as he looked up and saw the sun rising.

"Mar, do you have any idea how large these woods are? It'll take us hours to find them, by then they'd be long gone," Axel told him and Marluxia made a disapproving grunt as he started down towards the town.

"The Superior will not approve of this, and it won't be me he'll be upset with," he muttered, hearing everyone else following behind.

* * *

"How far until the city?" Sora asked, the sun had risen enough to allow him to see where he was going and what twig not to trip, following Kairi, who claimed that she use to play in these woods as a child and knew the way down to the town. He wondered if she really knew this and isn't bullshitting them to believe her otherwise. So far though, the three of them hadn't ran into any kind of trouble. Not yet anyway.

"Not that far. Hopefully we'll be there when everyone's out," Kairi responded, guessing that it's around six in the morning. Hating that he had to follow by her word, he wanted to go and see for himself.

"I'll scout ahead," he said as he dashed past her and was already a dot among the trees while Kairi huffed in pure annoyance.

"Men," she grunted to herself. _Always want to do things in a hurry,_ she added as an after thought.

"You two were alone for quite awhile, did something happen?" She nearly jumped at the sound of Riku's voice. When she looked up at him, he was giving her a questioning look. She processed his question and then understood what he had meant.

"He told me everything," she told him. He lifted an eyebrow (as far as she could tell,) not sure on what she meant at first, but then it clicked in his head.

"Everything?" She nodded and he let out a whistle. "Wow. You must mean something to him."

She stared at him in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it, you're probably the first outsider to know the shit he's been through." She was taken back by that statement. A part of her felt honored that Sora chose to share his misery with her and her alone.

"Riku?" she inquired, bringing his attention to her. "Sora said you, the both of you, knew... Xehanort. You knew he was bad before he took the both of you in, didn't you?"

Riku mentally laughed at the thought. Remembering the day he and Sora met that horrible man and scoffed at the result.

"What can I say? A guy like him gave off serious bad vibes. My only misfortune was that Sora was so freaking gullible. Then again, he was going through shit before we knew him," he told her.

"You're a really good friend to stick by him back then," she said as she smiled up at him. He silently took in that comment. "Do you think you'll be friends again after this?"

"Doubt it," he laughed. But then he saw that she was actually hopeful in them being friends again. It was sincere, but laughable none the less. "But there's always hope, right?" he encouraged, giving her a winning smile and she returned it.

* * *

"Best to split up. So they won't get us all at once," Riku suggested while handing a few Euros to a merchant. He and Sora put on caps and sunglasses while Kairi just put her hair in a pony tail as well as a pair of sunglasses.

"I agree," Sora said as Kairi nodded. Riku looked between the two and a mischievous thought entered his mind.

"Hey Yuna, why don't you stick around with Tidus? He'd need the company." Sora was taken aback by what his former friend had said.

"What?" he asked, incredulously. Kairi merely nodded her head.

"I don't mind. Do you, Tidus?" she asked him. He looked at her as if she were insane for siding with Riku. Seeing that he was unanimously trapped by this decision, he looked away indifferently.

"Do what you like," he responded with a dead pan tone. Kairi look satisfyingly at him as she turned back to Riku, to see him hiding a snicker.

"Take care, Locke." She surprised the two men by reaching up and wrapping her arms around Riku's neck. He hugged her back as Sora looked annoyingly at the two.

"You too," he responded as he drew back from the hug and started off in the opposite direction. As soon as he disappeared into the tourist filled crowd, Sora and Kairi started walking in their own path. Kairi almost immediately grabbed for Sora's arm, reminding him of what she said of this being an act to the crowd. As well as what almost happened in his room. The moment when he wanted to put everything aside and going with what his gut was telling him. No restraint, no conflict, no consequence. For the first time he didn't think about what he had done in the past and focused on what was present.

The annoying woman that was now clinging to his arm.

He found it absolutely amazing that despite everything he has done and with all that he has told her, she still clung to him.

"Why tag along with me?" he asked her, mostly curious on why a smart woman like her would go along with a crazy killer like him. She acquired a thoughtful look as she looked straight ahead. Thanks to the sunglasses, he couldn't tell if her eyes were directed to him.

"I... guess it's because I feel safe with you." He mentally laughed at her, mostly from the sheer irony.

"You do understand that trouble follows me, right?" he told her. He felt her shrug against his arm.

"I'll take my chances."

He turned his head to her, amazed by her... what's the word he's looking for... Dedication? Too strong. Motivation? Too weak. He'll think of it later.

"So, to Turkey, right?" he asked her, watching her nod her head as they found a small café and sat down at an outdoor table. They started looking into getting some breakfast menu.

"Yeah."

"How'll we get there?" She looked questioningly down at the table top.

"I'm sure Ansem will provide us something. No doubt he'd provide something for Locke."

"Because he works for him," Sora said begrudgingly.

"And so will we, right?" she asked, with hope in her tone. He let out a sigh through his nose. He was still thinking of the decision he had to make.

"Kai–Yuna..." he nearly stumbled. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly..." He trailed as the guilt started to build. Despite the sunglasses, she must've seen it in his face anyway. Feeling for him, she lowered her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose as she reached out and placed her hand over his. Earning her a look from him.

"He offered you to join us, even though he already knew about you."

"But still... I'm not like you. I've got too much behind me to get me locked up." She squeezed his hand, peering at him from the top of her glasses.

"You'll think about it though, right?" she asked, already seeing that it was going to take a lot to convince him.

"Yeah. I'll think about it," he responded, honesty tracing his features. She smiled at him as she, to his disappointment, pulled her hand away.

"Good. Seeing as the Organization won't know where we're going, I think it's safe to say our trip to Turkey will go smooth," she said with a hint of optimism. Normally, he'd laugh at such a thing, but he was quickly reminded of how little she actually knew.

"Don't underestimate them, Yuna. They'll find a way to find us."

"And indeed we have. Well, me at least." They jumped at the voice and turned to see a flaming red headed man with upside down isosceles triangle tattoos under his eyelids standing not too far away from them. The two recognized him as one of the members that was down at the tunnels. They made a move to get up and run, but he raised his hands and gestured to them that he didn't come to harm them. "Relax, I'm not going to take you away. But for a future reference, get better disguises and make-up for those bruises." He pointed to their hat, pony tail, sunglasses, and the swelling marks on their faces. Seeing that their cover was blown, they took off their respective glasses and hat and turned to him.

"How did you find us?" Kairi asked as the man took a chair from another table and sat lazily across from the two.

"Expert tracker. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" They gave him a strange look and he just acted like he didn't even see them. "Anyway, the rest of us are combing the city for you." The looks now changed to suspicion, but he just continued in a very lazy manner, "Although I'm supposed to send out a message if I found you."

"What's stopping you?" Sora spat at him. Axel lifted his hand and held up three fingers.

"First of all, your track record," he responded while dropping one finger. Sora gave him a dangerous look. "Second, I don't see how this benefits me. And thirdly, well, I just want to live long enough to see how this ends." He dropped the remaining two fingers and then lowered his hand. Sora raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Didn't your boss tell you what's at stake?"

"Of course he did, but not all of it though." Axel then leaned forward and rested his arms on the table top. "Thing is, he doesn't tell us _lower ranks_ what's really going on. But all of us know that he's hiding something. It'd be real hard if we banded together and see what he has to say. You see where I'm going here?"

"You are such a coward," Kairi spat at him, eyes boring holes in to the man.

"Sticks and stones, babe," he responded, his attention fully on her. "But the important thing is, how much do I get out of it?" He reached his hand out and placed it on Kairi's upper thigh. A horrified and disgusted look covered her and Sora didn't miss a single beat.

"Get your hand off her," he whispered dangerously down at the flaming haired man, getting up from his seat and was ready to punch the man. But Axel took his hand away and reached for his phone.

"Woah, watch it, one false move and I rat you out to my boss." Sora glowered down at him.

"Why her? You already have a whore amongst you," he accused Axel. The red haired man merely shrugged and not threatened in the very least.

"Not gonna lie, Larxene's been around the block a few times. But it gets dull after awhile. Nah, I'm looking for something new. And what can I say, I like the innocent type." He directed that last statement to Kairi and she sent him a glare that could kill him twenty times over. It was then that Sora reached out and grabbed Axel by the collar and dragged him to Sora's face.

"If you're so Goddamn afraid of my track record, then it would be best for you to leave her alone," he spat at him and all Axel could do was let out a low chuckle.

"You _really_ know how to hit where it hurts. But the way that I see it, she's access luggage and that's all she'll ever be."

"Don't talk that way about me," Kairi retorted, clearly outraged and offended. Sora whipped his head to her.

"Don't say a word," he hissed at her.

"Why not?" she asked and Sora's glare was enough to tell her to shut up.

After he saw that she got the message, he turned back to Axel.

"If you know what's good for you, stay away from her." He pushed Axel and he watched the flaming haired man stumble back onto his seat.

"All right, have it your way. Just remember that you're not the hero, Mr. Villiers." Sora sent the man a death gaze as he grabbed Kairi's hand and literally dragged her out of her seat and toward the crowd. "Ti vedo in Turchia!" he heard Axel shout and Sora mentally thanked his Italian roots. For he knew that the red haired man said 'See you in Turkey.'

As soon as they were out of sight, Kairi ripped her hand from Sora's grasp, making him stop and face her.

"Why didn't you let me defend myself? I could've handled it," she said defensively.

"No. You couldn't," he said, flat out.

"And why not?" He held in a groan from her naïvete.

"Guys like him get their kicks when a girl they can't have talks to them."

"What do you-" He gave a look that told her exactly what he had meant. Vile crept up her throat as the realization dawned on her. "Disgusting."

"They all are." He then grabbed her hand again and started walking again to the nearest possible hotel. Giving him time to recede his anger for strategy to replace it. And in that instant, a thought dawned on him. "Wait," he halted, making Kairi stumble into his back.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Why did he bring it up though? He had no reason. He said so himself that he only wants what benefits him... Dammit."

"Sora, what's wrong?" Kairi probed, not liking his tone at all. He turned to face her with that all too familiar look of paranoia.

"He was toying with us."

"What?"

"Think about it, they know everything about you. Meaning they're going to go after the people that matter to you."

"Oh God," she gasped. Fear crossed her features as dread clogged her throat. He didn't want this either. Just seeing that look in her eyes made his guilt even more apparent.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking away from her. "If it weren't for me, I-" She shook her head vehemently.

"No. No, it's not your fault. I decided to stay with you. I-"

"Don't say that," he interrupted her, gaining her attention. He returned her gaze with his own. "Lets just say it's neither our faults." She smiled up at him, nodding up at him while squeezing his hand. "C'mon, lets find Locke."

* * *

"Son of a- Should've seen it coming," Riku chastised while he hit his fist against the wall of the motel room. Sora and Kairi found him standing outside, looking at them questioningly on why they took off their hat and glasses. They then told him about Axel and what he had to say.

Retracting his hand, Riku noticed the deathly silence that fell into the room. He looked to Kairi, after reading the despair in her eyes, he knew what she must've been thinking.

"Hey," he called out to her, earning her attention from her seat on the bed. "If anything, Ansem probably figured it out and is now in his rich guy safe house at the center of the planet." She smiled at his light humor, grateful for him to ease her pain.

"Probably," she said, not too convinced however.

"Also," Sora piped up. "If we leave for Turkey now, they'll just follow us. Commercial or private, they'll be ahead of us."

"Well, Turkey is a big place, maybe we'll lose them in the capitol and make our way up to Troy."

"There's thirteen of them, if we lose one the rest will just continue where they left off," Riku informed them.

"There's also the problem of the clue being yards under water."

"Even if they're tracking Ansem, he'll probably loan us the money for scuba equipment."

"Might get interfered."

"If we have to walk there, might as well do it."

Both Riku and Kairi looked at Sora as if he were insane.

"Are you crazy?"

"Yeah, they'll get to us sooner that way." Riku let out a frustrated groan. Feeling a headache coming and it's not promising to be quick. "We'll think of a plan tomorrow. For now, we rest. Thinking about this too hard isn't good for us," he amended as he stepped out of the room to get some fresh air. Leaving Sora and Kairi alone in the room. Caught in a pregnant silence.

It didn't get past Sora as Kairi stared down at her feet. What she must've been thinking about and how she felt. From what he understood, she and Ansem were very close. So much that she's considered a daughter to the old man. And a father to her.

The worry was filling the room and he could honestly cut it with a knife.

Suffice to say, he didn't like this air at all.

"Kairi?" he tried to gain her attention. Only to receive a shake of her head, knowing what he was going to ask her.

"I'm fine. Really, I am," she replied, a strain hinted in her voice. Holding back her own tears and still refusing to cry in front of him.

"Y'know, this is exactly what they wanted. Mess with us so bad that we can hardly think," he grunted, hating the situation that they were placed in.

"Looks like they've succeeded."

"Yeah. For now at least." She finally looked up at him, a questioning look dawned on her. He only gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll think of something."

She nodded after he said that. She had no doubt that they would think of something, but that was still a far off possibility.

"To think that this headache started when we entered the..." She stopped in her words as her eyes widened and realization captured her. "That's it!"

Sora was about to ask her what was going on when she shot up from the bed and raced to her duffel bag (thankful that she remembered to bring it with her) and started rummaging through it.

"Riku! Get back in here!" she called out, hoping Riku hadn't gone too far.

"Kairi? What's going?" Sora asked, mostly wondering why Kairi got so excited all of a sudden. The door opened and Riku came racing in, fearing the worst.

"What is it? Did they find us again?"

"No. Nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" he mirrored Sora's question without realizing it. But she just continued looking through her notes without hearing anything around her.

"Kairi?" Sora tried to gain her attention, worried that she might've finally blown a blood vessel.

She finally found what she had been looking for and brought it back to the bed. She laid it down on the mattress and the two men gathered around her and saw that she brought out a map of Rome.

"The catacombs," she said, very excited, as she pointed to a spot on the map.

"What?" Sora inquired, not sure what she meant by that. Riku also sent a questioning look to her.

"Those tunnels are all over Europe. With a good compass, we'll be able to locate our way to Turkey and the Organization won't even think for us to be down there."

"It's possible..." Riku trailed thoughtfully. It was a very good plan.

"One problem though," Sora brought up, facing Kairi. "Didn't you say those tunnels are a labyrinth? Those tunnels'll drive us insane before we hit Turkey."

"Like I said, if we have a _good_ compass," she emphasized.

"Not that expensive either. And with enough supplies, we'll be able to survive down there for at least a month."

"Then we'd better get enough for more than that." Sora turned to face Kairi again. "It's also cold down there. Kairi, are there dry tunnels?"

"Should be."

"Good. We can camp out in those tunnels then."

"Keep track of time too," Riku added.

"It'll probably take us a week to prepare. After that we leave immediately."

* * *

Naminé couldn't get anymore bored than she already was. She had drawn the same scene outside of her window on multiple stationery's and created concepts for projects that she's planning on doing, if she makes it out of this dreary mansion to do them.

She never would've once thought that being kidnapped would leave her with absolutely nothing to do.

The books that were lined on the bookshelf didn't hold her interest as they're all on various topics of secret societies and the occult. Why these particular topics? Her guess was as good as anyone's.

A sigh escaped her lips as she watched the afternoon sun having its affect on the trees and mountain tops. She had already drawn this a couple stationery's back, the only thing lacking was any sort of life. She could say the same about her prison.

She honestly wished that Roxas was there with her. He was the only one that she could talk to when everyone else just ignored her. She still found that strange, but she also found it endearing. If it weren't for the fact that he was working along side these nut jobs, she would've gone out to dinner with him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room swung open and in came the flaming red haired man with the triangle tattoos under his lower eyelids. Carrying a tray of food with him.

"Lunch time, princess!" he exclaimed. Naminé rolled her eyes, she always found Axel to be the most annoying in the group. "Saw your friend today. She's pretty feisty, but you already knew that," he continued while placing the tray on the nightstand. She shot him a look. He couldn't possibly mean... "Not going to ask how or what she's doing?" Axel smiled smugly at her, walking to her position on the window sill. "I'll tell you anyway," he humored her.

"She seemed pretty healthy. And that kidnapper of hers, no doubt he's crazy about her." He leaned against the sill while she looked at him. Worry crawling through her chest. He saw that look in her. "No, I don't mean it like that. Looked more like puppy love. Then again, the way he threatened me, that's more than just liking her." He sent her an amused look. "Probably doesn't know it yet. Which is a bit cliché when you think about it." Naminé sent him a glare. "I mean a cold hearted killer and a headstrong scholar. One thing leads to another and they end up getting hitched. Even though she knows he's a wanted criminal across the globe and is probably looking at the death penalty once back on U.S. waters. Tragic, isn't it?"

He looked at her expectantly. Trying to get any sign of emotion out of her, but the only thing he could get from her was contempt. Like she wasn't sure if she should take in his words with a grain of salt, or worry more about her best friend than she already had. But Naminé knew Kairi. She was a black belt and attends the dojo regularly. Even in the direst of times, she kept her head held high and Naminé had no doubt that that's what her friend was doing at the moment. And she also knew that Kairi would want her to do the same. The very reason why she stayed silent while Axel kept on talking. Not even thinking twice of the possibility of Axel finding it appealing.

"I can see that you're just as headstrong as she is. Does working in a musty old museum have that effect on people?" Naminé suddenly became alert when his voice turned to a dark husk. "Fine. Have it your way." He got up from his perch and placed both of his hands on her knees. Gently gliding up her thigh. Her heart rate increased as fear started taking over her mind, watching as lust clouded his emerald eyes. "Your friend basically blew me off and that left me a little... irritated."

"Axel!"

He took his hands away and spun around to see the California kid standing at the door, glowering at the red haired man.

"Hey there, Roxas. How long have you been standing there?" Axel asked, looking as if nothing even happened. Roxas didn't seem convinced.

"Just came in. Don't you have work to do?"

"Right. Back to stalking," he sighed with boredom as he shot the blond girl a friendly look (which frightened her very much.) "Catch you later."

He proceeded to walk out through the lone door as he bumped his shoulder against Roxas. He shot the pyro a glare as he closed the door behind him. He turned back to Naminé only to see that she had paled considerably and relief seemed to wash over her. Like she was thankful of Roxas coming at the right moment. He let out a frustrated groan as he didn't like to see this woman looking the way she did a moment ago.

"I'm sorry if he said something to upset you," he said in a comforting tone as he walked over to her. Keeping his distance as he didn't want to scare her even more than she already was. "I'll make sure to give him a good punch for saying that last part to you." He demonstrated by pounding his fist into his open palm, and she let out a small giggle at his attempt to make her feel better. He was glad to see that he got that from her. "See? All better."

She sent a grateful look.

"Won't you get into trouble for being nice to me?" she asked, mostly out of concern for him. He merely shrugged.

"Let 'em throw whatever they like." Then he looked seriously at her. "They just forget that there are other people living in this world."

"That's awful."

"Yeah." He shrugged again as he turned for a the door.

"You're not like them, are you?" He stopped in his tracks, giving her the answer she needed. "So why are you with them?" He turned his head and sent her a carefree look.

"Can't really say."

* * *

**A/N:** 1) I would like to apologize to the Axel fans out there. Don't get me wrong, I liked Axel in the games, but the way I depicted here is a little more... perverse. It wasn't my attention, but the character just came out that way. Plus, he adds a little more dilemma for one of the central characters. He was also fun to write about later on. I guess I just made him the way that he was in Chain of Memories. A little more cynical and always looking out for number one. I think I'll stop there. Mainly because I don't want to spoil anything.

2) I just recently discovered that while you are struggling with an action sequence, you should listen to the Uncharted OST (Drake's Fortune or Among Thieves, it doesn't matter.) It's fast pace and gets you right into setting. And because it's so well done, it gets your heart pounding and leaves you exhausted. Very much like the games themselves (And yes, I'm absolutely excited for Uncharted 3! Hehe. "He's _not_ exactly a 'rug merchant.'")

3) Fun fact: My thinking process for the chapter was _almost_ the same Kairi's. I had no clue on how I was going to continue from the point where the three were stumped on what to do. And then, as I wrote along, a big fat **DUH** entered my head as I had _just_ remembered the catacombs! Brilliant, right? So Kairi's realization was also _my_ realization. So just imagine my face with huge anime eyes and jaw hitting the ground. Or the Genie in _Aladdin_. That was my face. Lol.

4) **_Special thanks:_ tennisdesi91**, anonymous reviewer **The Great Ninja Xion**, **Don't Shoot the Puppy**, **Redeeming Endeavor **(thank you for wishing me well at the time), and **Mr. Eclipse **for your kind and helpful reviews! And a special thanks to **Dmajorboss** for editing the chapter.

With all that said, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and the direction it's now going.

Can't wait to I hear your thoughts!


	9. The Escape

−9−  
The Escape

_ "He's a jackass, Sora. Don't let him get to you," Riku tried reassuring his friend._

_ A little over an hour ago, Sora had finally tracked down the man that shared half of his DNA and came to realize it was the worst mistake in his young life._

_ "I know. I know," he responded, his voice strained with anguish and stress as he downed his soda. The boys were in a seedy bar that was off the freeway. They tried to get two beers but their fake IDs didn't get pass the bartender. This was especially true considering Sora's boyish face._

_ "He walked out on your mom and didn't even know about you," Riku stated, trying one more time, only to earn a disbelieving stare from Sora._

_ "Are you trying to make me feel better?"_

_ "I'm only saying that he's the last person to pass judgment on you." It made him feel _a little_ bit better, but not enough to forget what that man had said to Sora._

_ "One fact you're forgetting."_

_ "What's that?" Riku questioned._

_ "I'm still a product of him." Riku looked annoyed at his childhood friend. Mainly that he was getting tired of his emo attitude._

_ "You think you'll turn out like him, don't you?"_

_ "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Sora finished his soda bottle while wiping his face with both of his hands. The soda wasn't helping at all._

_ "Excuse me."_

_ Sora took his hands away and turned to the person that interrupted them. It was a bronze skinned man who looked to be in his mid to late forties and his voice reflected that age. His head was completely bald save for the gray goatee covering his chin, and his eyes were gold. A long leather jacket covered his white button up shirt, his boots covering up mid-calf and black pants tucked into the boots. To Riku, this man gave off some serious bad vibes and he instantly didn't trust the man._

_ "You look like someone I know. Any relation?" the old man directed the question to Sora. The boy gave the man an odd look and merely shrugged his shoulders._

_ "Wouldn't know," he responded._

_ "Yes. All the same," the man said thoughtfully while stroking his goatee. He looked over the two boys and a grin appeared on his wrinkled face. "You also look like you're having a hard time." Sora gave the man a startling look. Curious on how he knew. But it didn't get pass Riku. Any idiot could see that Sora was going through a lot at the moment._

_ The man turned to the bartender. "Three beers." Sora looked astonished at the man, Riku just looked at him suspiciously. The man turned back to them with a grin on his face. "Troubling men need a good drink."_

_ The barkeep put the bottles before the man and as soon as the bartender turned away to service another customer, the man slid the two bottles towards the boys._

_ "Thanks," Sora said as he took a swig from his bottle. Riku would've done the same if it weren't for the fact that he didn't trust the guy._

_ "You know," the man earned their attention. "I'm actually looking for young men such as you." Both boys looked at him strangely. Assuming what he meant was... The man seemed to have read their expressions and just let out a hearty laugh. "Rest assured, I don't mean it like that."_

_ Sora let out a breath of relief, but Riku kept his stone gaze._

_ "Then what _do_ you mean?" he asked._

_ "That I have a job that requires the strongest of men; men who gain experience as they travel around the world in search of what their cravings." That got Sora's attention. He always wanted to travel but never had the money to do so. Riku only grew irritated. The man smiled at the two as he pointed toward a booth. "I'll be sitting over there. Come join me if you're interested."_

_ The old man walked away towards the booth and took his seat. Leaving the two boys to gather their thoughts on what they should do._

_ "What do you think?" Sora asked as he turned to his best friend._

_ "I dunno. That guy looks a little... shifty," he responded with honesty. Sora merely scoffed at him._

_ "You're _way_ too suspicious, Riku," he laughed at his friend. Riku just gave him an incredulous look._

_ "You gotta feel it too." The smile disappeared from Sora's face and an empty feeling entering his chest._

_ "I don't know what I feel anymore." He got up from his bar stool and started toward the booth._

_ "Sora-" Riku said with warning as he shot his arm out and caught Sora's. Sora then turned to his long time friend and gave him a reassuring smile._

_ "I'm just gonna hear him out. If it's something really bad, then we'll walk out."_

* * *

He woke up with a jolt. Looking around and seeing that they were in a different hotel than their previous one. He saw Kairi looking over maps. She decided to go with a map and compass instead of an easily traced GPS, since she had basically calculated how long they were going to be in the tunnels and where they should arrive. They, including Riku, are going to emerge from the tunnels in Campobasso and then take a ferry from Brindisi to one of the Greek Islands, the island of Corfu. As soon as they arrive, they will leave the tour group, get on the boat provided by Ansem (she was able to contact him through internet café instant messaging) and head towards Kyllini. They'll be on their own after that.

As soon as his bearings were set and realized that he was sitting by the window once again, he pinched himself between his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. Why had he remembered that all of a sudden? He hadn't been thinking about it until recently. When he told Kairi his story, he honestly expected her to reject him. Just like everyone else did. But knowing all of this, she stayed with him anyway. He found that to be the most bizarre thing he had ever heard. Normally, when a person finds out about your troublesome past that lead to a mass of killings, they'd run away at the first given chance.

But not her.

Not Kairi.

Why?

"Huh? Did you say something?" he looked up at her and saw her focus on him. Did he say that question out loud?

"Nothing," he responded and she looked unconvinced.

"Didn't I say that you're a bad liar?" He held in a groan. How is it that she can read him like a book?

"I was mostly curious on why... you know everything about me now, everything that I did. Why aren't you running away?" he thought to ask anyway. Then another surprise came to him, she looked thoughtful at him.

"You said you didn't ask for that life style, right?"

"Yeah." She just continued to smile at him.

"I figured that meant you're not completely heartless." He couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh and she gave him an odd look. "What's so funny?"

"I killed a lot of people and you think I'm not completely heartless? No offense, but that's completely screwed up." She gave him a disbelieving look with a shake of her head.

"You're pushing me away again," she stated and he just shrugged.

"Yeah well, it's best not to get close to me." Her eyebrows lifted at that as she watched his emotionless face.

"Why do you say that?" He gave her an amused face as he spread his arms open.

"Look at me, things haven't gone so great since I decided to look for my dad. My mom's dead and I've taken eighteen women, three of which were mothers, twenty men, most were fellow mercenaries, and four children. Either by gun shots, breaking their necks, or stabbing. And don't you dare give me that look." Sadness and shock were in her eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, I have no soul anymore."

A pause passed over them. Mostly from which Kairi had no idea what to say, but from the angry look in his eyes, she could still see a glimmer of regret. He had suffered a large amount of pain and turmoil. So much that all his perceptions of morality seemed to have disappeared. At that thought, she moved herself to the other end of the bed to where he is and took his hand into her own. He was about to ask what she was doing until she put it on her chest, just above her breasts. He fought down a blush as she gave him a serious look.

"What do you feel?" He could only assume she meant the pounding against his hand and noted how rapid it was.

"You mean your heart beat?" She nodded at him as she took his hand off her and then on his own chest.

"And what do you feel now?" He stared down at her. Sure he can feel his own heart beat, already understanding her point, but he couldn't find it in him to laugh at her. Instead, he gave her a solemn look.

"I appreciate it. I really do. But the thing is," he started while taking her hand off his and settled it into his own. "I don't know if I know the difference anymore."

They just sat there in silence, neither moving a muscle nor making any attempt to remove their hands. They stared at each other, mostly trying to figure out the other's thoughts. For the life of them, they couldn't understand each other's worlds. She was a well respected scholar who grew up not knowing much of her parents, while he use to live a normal life until he met the man he wished he didn't. Different fates. Different destinies. And yet, here they were in the same room.

They pulled their hands back at the sound of a door opening and closing. Choosing to not look at each other, Kairi looked down at his feet while he looked up at the ceiling fan. Riku came strolling with a tray in his hands.

"Hey. Got us some crappy coffee..." he stopped as he detected the heaviness as well as looking between the two. "Did I interrupt something, again?"

"Forget it. Did you see anyone?" Sora asked as he stood up and looked at his former friend.

"Yeah, that red headed pyromaniac across the street. No doubt he's only looking out for you." He turned to Kairi and she grew uncomfortable from that. Hating that look, Sora also turned to her and gave her a determined look.

"I'll kill him before he even touches you," he stated in a very serious tone and she stared startled up at him.

"Sora-"

"No. My mind's made up. Besides, bad guys like him don't even deserve to live."

"From what you've told me, he seems to only benefit himself." Sora glared at him and Kairi regained that uncomfortable look. Realizing his slip, he turned back to Kairi. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," she responded.

"Riku," Sora gained the silver haired man's look. "Do you have profiles on all the members?"

"Not all of them. Just the top seven."

"Why only the top seven?" Kairi asked. Riku remained silent, looking like he didn't want to answer. "Riku?" she pried and he didn't budge.

"If I told you, you won't like it."

"Naturally," Sora sighed irritatingly. Riku caught that and sent a glare at the brunet.

"You got something to say, Sora?" he shot at him and Sora glared back.

"Excuse me for not being immediately trusting."

"Ugh, you're not starting this again, are you?" Kairi groaned. Then she got up and stood next to Sora, focusing only on him. "Sora, trust me instead."

He blinked a couple of times before her words sunk in.

"What?"

"You heard me." He gave her a questioning look. She answered with a smile. "It's okay."

"Kairi-"

"Really. I trust you. That's enough for me."

"You shouldn't-"

"Okay, sorry but you guys are starting to make me sick." They turned from their little exchange to face an irritated Riku. "Besides there are plenty of other opportunities," he smirked as Kairi blushed while Sora glared. "So, how goes the plans?" He looked to Kairi and she went back to the bed to pick up the map where she had written on.

"As long as we don't get lost, we should be at Brindisi within a month."

"We gotta make sure members don't follow us into the tunnels."

"Way ahead of you." The two men looked at her and then stood next to her to peer over her shoulder. "Seeing as we can't go back to the butcher shop, there are many entrances to the catacombs. Only five of them are open to the public. I suggest we each find a closed entrance."

"Know where those are?"

"Yeah." She motioned for Sora to hold one end of the map and he did just that as she used her free hand to point at a spot. "We should meet right here."

"You saying we should separate?" Sora asked.

"We should. So they won't get us all at once."

Sora and Kairi made agreeing gestures.

They will set their plan in motion for the next day.

* * *

Sora and Riku had already went into two directions. They knew where to find their respective entrances were, Kairi doing the same as well. She was walking down the street with only a purse and looked like any normal tourist to the untrained eye. Despite her determination to move forward and reach her goal, she was a little bit nervous.

So many things can go wrong with this plan. One glaring problem was the flaming haired man that had been stalking them for the last couple days. The two men were stumped on how to make Axel go away, but Kairi had an idea and Sora hated it.

It was to use her as bait for Axel to lead them away from the tunnels. Sora didn't know how, but she was able to convince him it was a good idea. Leading Axel to an entirely different area than where they were and as soon as he was out of the way, she can sneak into a nearby tunnel and rendezvous with the two men.

The only thing she was nervous about was Axel himself. He made it very clear that his intentions with Kairi are anything but innocent. That unsettled Kairi very much. But then she reminded herself that she's a fifth degree black belt at her dojo and that she handled herself pretty well in the tunnels.

She heard footsteps coming in line with hers and she knew that it was time to put the plan into action. No matter how much he made her squirm.

"I see that you've ditched the body guards for today," she heard Axel say to her. Like any dignified woman who was being harassed by some creep, she ignored him. "So where are you off to? I find myself to be good company." She continued to ignore him and held her nose high in the air. She didn't see but she could feel his smirk boring down at her. "And I also see you're taking Sora's advice." He let a little laugh escape his throat. "That's two women now that's stiffing me. Twice on one. Almost had it with the blonde if weren't for a certain someone." He had added with a begrudging tone. "Real pretty too. I think you might know her." That got her attention as she turned in to an alley, with him following not too far behind. His smirk growing dangerously wicked. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. You're silence is enough."

"Hah!" She grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in a place where the sun doesn't shine and succeeded to knock the wind out of him. As soon as she heard him fall down to his knees, she bolted as fast as she could.

Axel breathed heavily and let out a few coughs. A trickle of blood dripped out of the corner of his mouth from when he bit his tongue. All the while, his smirk still graced his features.

"I have to say, I love it when they fight back," he said hazily as he staggered to get up. "Now where did you go?..."

* * *

"I'm getting worried. She should be here by now," Riku's voice echoed in the tunnel, his flashlight shining down the way. The two men had met at the rendezvous point in Rome's catacombs and are now waiting for Kairi. Sora had remained silent with his arms crossed over his chest. Riku merely rolled his eyes at his former friend's stoic look. "Yeah, feel free to drop in at anytime."

Sora glared at him.

"I'm worried too, but I'm trying not to go after her."

"Well that's a first," Riku scoffed. "Yeah, she'd probably get mad if you 'tried to save her.'"

Sora looked annoyed at him.

"Shut up, it's not like that."

"Really? Then all the signs that I've been seeing were an illusion?" Sora remained silent. There was no way he was going to tell Riku anything. "C'mon, I know you like her." He instead focused on the carefully carved wall opposite them. "You've been inseparable in the last few weeks and now that you're apart, you're restraining yourself from being her knight in shiny armor." Sora held in a growl. "The Sora that I knew would've gone after her on the spot."

"The Sora you knew is dead," he spat at Riku.

"You know I don't believe that." Sora gave him a dangerous look. "I've been watching you, and, whether you notice it or not, you're starting to come back."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think you know what I mean." Sora fought down a blush as he sent his cold glare to the ankle deep water. "And it also helps that I saw you two making out." Sora would've shot Riku right then and there if it weren't for the racing footsteps that were splashing in the water. Instinctively, the two men drew their guns and aimed at the source.

"Relax, it's me," they heard Kairi's voice through the darkness. Riku's flashlight now shining on her red hair and porcelain face squinting at the light.

"What happened?" Sora asked as he put his gun back to its holster. Riku mirrored his actions.

"What's that red head's name again?" Kairi asked back as she came to a halt before them, catching her breath in the process.

"Axel I think," Riku responded. Sora gave her a concerned look.

"Did he follow you?"

"I kicked him in between the legs and managed to knock him out long enough to get away."

"Nice going," Riku said in an impressed tone. Sora fought down his awe for the woman by directing the objective.

"Lets get going. We can't afford to waste time," he said as he started down at the tunnel with his flashlight turned on. Kairi grumbled as Sora's attitude towards her was getting at an annoying peak.

"Don't mind him," Riku's voice startled her. "He's happy you're safe."

* * *

"Finding anything new?"

Kairi looked up from her papers to see Sora looking at her. As soon as they saw that the time was well into the night, the three adults decided to set up camp in the nearest dry tunnel that wasn't too far from the main path. It was in a burial chamber where the beds of the dead lined the walls. Sora had asked if there was another tunnel they would camp in, but Riku shot back in saying that it would take too long. Sora said a quick prayer while Riku explained to Kairi that his mother was an old fashion Catholic woman. Kairi had to hold in a laugh, she'd never think that Sora was the superstitious type.

After they set up the camping lantern and laid the sleeping bags, Riku left the two alone to scout the tunnels, and Kairi immediately went to work. Sora had no doubt that he did that on purpose. Kairi, on the other hand, failed to see the attempt and just buried her head into her research.

"No. No, there's nothing new," she answered, letting it show in her eyes of how tired she grew. "The circle from the map we found was large. I just find it hard to believe that something that huge hasn't been discovered yet," she expressed her main concern.

Sora nodded in agreement.

"So what're you thinking?"

"About what you said earlier." He raised an eyebrow. "That it might lead to another clue."

"And another chapter picks up, right?"

"Pretty much," she grinned, flattered that he actual listened to her. Then a thought crossed her mind and it bothered her very much. "Sora?"

"Hmm?"

"Axel today, he said something that really disturbed me."

"What's that?"

She hesitated.

"He said he was with someone. Said that I might know her."

"He was probably messing with you," Sora dismissed. Kairi didn't look convinced.

"I don't know. I don't have that many blond friends and she's my best friend." He raised his eyebrow again.

"Was he really that descriptive?"

"Yeah."

"Then he was messing with you," he continued to dismiss and saw that she looked at him oddly. "Guys like him, they would do anything just to rattle your cage. To get your guard down."

"Why would he do that?" He gave a knowing look and it was enough to get the message across. "Oh," she simply replied with a disgusted look.

"But at least you managed to get away. That's all that matters." If Kairi didn't know any better, Sora looked relieved. "By the way, you never really answered my question." She looked at him questioningly. "Y'know, about where you learned those moves."

She now understood his question. She debated on whether she should tell him or not. But she decided to do so, letting him know wouldn't do any harm.  
"After my parents died, Ansem thought it would be best for me to learn martial arts. To prepare me I suppose."

"At four?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. He must've really cared about your well being."

She couldn't help but hear his astonishment, to admit that it didn't seem normal for a four year old to learn to fight. But it was all done in good measure. Ansem went out of his way to get her a private master and when she got a bit older, she admired the patience of her master. Dealing with a four year old girl who wanted to chase butterflies all day was not an easy task. She guessed that her grandfather really did care deeply for her and never wanted her to have an adventure like the one she was in now. That made her think of what he said to her, about her father researching artifacts for cult leaders and such.

"It's kind of funny now that I think about it. He said that my dad has gotten into situations like this but never accepted their offer. Makes me think he signed me up so that I never end up like my dad."

"But it happened anyway."

"Yeah," she sighed. A determined looked crossed her features. "But this time though, I'm surrounded by those I can trust." She reacted when he gave her an odd look. "What?"

His face read that told her that he didn't believe her.

"Why do you trust me? I'm a murderer for God's sake."

"You saved my life," she reminded him, with a little edge to her voice.

He scoffed at her.

"I don't consider almost getting hit with a kunai 'saving your life.'"

Her eyes bore at him.

"I'm not just talking about that." He sent her a confused look. "You told me to run and I did. I prepared myself for the worst and I managed to get away until I ran into Riku." He looked away from her, mentally scoffing at her. "Besides, you have any idea how much force it took that kunai to break through the window and then get pinned deep into the floor?" He refused to look at her, mainly since he knew that she was right. "So that's twice now. I have to get even somehow."

He let out a low laugh.

"You want to get even now?"

"Not now." He let out another laugh and he could feel her smile at him. He allowed the silence to take over as he had no clue on how to respond to her.

"Riku's been gone for a while, huh?" Sora asked. Actually hoping that idiot hadn't gotten himself lost.

"Yeah, he has. He can take care of himself though." He grunted at the truth. Riku took the liberty of marking the walls that only he could identify so that they wouldn't get lost. It was stupid, really, since he knew what mark Riku would leave behind and Larxene would pick up on that right away. "So, where did you grow up?"

"Huh?" he was brought out his thinking and nearly shocked when Kairi asked him that question. He could see her curiosity from the lantern that illuminated the tunnel.

"I just think we should get to know each other more." What brought on this curiosity? He'll never know. But it was better than sitting in silence. "So, what were you before you became a mercenary?"

He found that question almost comical.

"You a shrink now or something?" She merely shrugged.

"I did take psychology when I was in college. It actually comes in handy when I study the lives of people from a thousand years ago. How they go about their day for example. But that's irrelevant though." She now turned to face him all the way. All eyes on him and not making a move to turn away. "I just basically want to know who you were." He kept silent as he could get. His earlier resolve to not reveal anything to her seemed to have crawled right back. She had seemed to pick up on this and decided on a new tactic. "I could always ask Riku-"

"Stop. You're not asking Riku anything and I saw through your trap from the beginning." She gave him a sly grin. She knew that she had him wrapped around her finger. He rolled his eyes at her. "But if you want to know so badly, I grew up in Staten Island."

"New York?" she asked, surprisingly.

"Yup: suburb capital of the world." She didn't expect to hear that from him. She thought he grew up in some run down neighborhood. Who knew? Then he got a bemused look as if he were reliving a pleasant memory. "Didn't give a shit about anything but I always tried to make my mom happy." He shot a look at her. "She was pretty sick, but I loved her anyway. I partied a lot. Got arrested from time to time. Small stuff though. Theft, DUI, shit like that. Everyday high school living."

"Sounds like the teenagers in my high school as well," she mentioned.

"So, did you grow up in DC?" he asked her. She brought the subject up so it was only fair to ask her as well.

She shook her head.

"No. I grew up in a small town in Maryland. Around three thousand populated the area."

"That is small," he reflected. "I'd imagine you don't get a lot of crime there, huh?"

"We get it, it's just once in a blue moon. Drug busts mostly though."

"Huh. Smart." She gave him a confused look.

"Huh?" she asked and he gave her an informative look.

"Drug dealers pick small towns because they are so small. The less cop activity, the better." She never even thought of it that way.

"Huh, that is smart," she muttered to herself as a question entered her mind. "Hey Sora-"

"No. I never did drugs. Not in my high school years, and not in my time with Xehanort."

She stared wide eyed at him.

"I wasn't going to ask that but that's good to know," she said after the awkward pause.

"What were you going to ask?"

"Actually, since you brought that up, I kind of forgot," she laughed as he stared at her with a crooked eyebrow. "What? It happens," she said, defensively and he shook his head at her. She cleared her throat and continued, "Y'know, I'm kind of surprised that you didn't do drugs. Even under Xehanort."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sora asked, incredulously.

"Nothing. It's just that a man like Xehanort..." she trailed, allowing for Sora to finish the thought.

"I get what you mean," he said. "He didn't want us to do that stuff. If we did, he'd kill us. And that's not a metaphor." Kairi swallowed, the chills running up her arms. "He didn't want us to be impaired when we were out on a mission and wanted nothing but perfection. So when he sends us out to kill, nothing would stop us."

Bile crept up her throat. The mere thought of the man was enough to give her an unsettling feeling and would keep her up all night.

"How can a man like that ever come to exist?" she asked more to herself.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." She took his word. The thought of that man was enough to give her chills up her spine. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Sora?"

"Hmm?"

"What did he say that made you want to join him?"

"Good question," he muttered to himself as he gave her a thoughtful look. "I dunno. I guess when he said that I can travel to wherever it is that I want was what won me over." His eyes saddened while he subconsciously placed his hand on his chest, where his crown hung under his shirt. "I didn't want to go home."

She felt a tug in her chest.

"Sora-" She was about to reach her hand to touch his, but footsteps interrupted that moment and the click of a flashlight.

"Well, it doesn't look like we were followed down. Would've heard anything by now," Riku's voice echoed through the tunnel. "So anything new?"

Kairi looked over to Sora and the look he gave her was enough to tell her that she shouldn't say anything that transpired between the two of them. She gave him an understanding look as she turned back to Riku.

"No. Not at all," she answered and it seemed he missed the quiet exchanged. Which she, she imagined Sora as well, was grateful.

Riku sat down on his own sleeping bag across from Kairi. "Well, it's getting pretty late. Who's going to take the first watch?" he asked while stretching his limbs.

"I will," Sora responded as he got up.

Riku shrugged.

"All right, I've got no objections. Kairi?"

"Nope. None at all."

"It's settled then. Be sure to bundle up."

Sora gave him an annoyed look. He was already aware of the cold and didn't need _Riku_ to tell him. But as soon as he glanced at Kairi, her head was back in her research and a small pang of disappointment hit him. Was he hoping for her to look at him for a silent 'Good night' or that her attention was not on him. He mentally shook his head as he stepped out of the chamber and kept his eyes peeled for intruders. All the while thinking how far he had fallen.

* * *

**_Special thanks:_ ash-nobody**, **Redeeming Endeavor**, **tennisdesi91**, **CapriciousXXIISerenader**, **Mr. Eclipse**, and **Dmajorboss** for beta-ing the chapter! As well as everyone that took the time to view and add the story your favs/alerts. You guys are the best. :D

**A/News:** I just recently replaced my busted PS3 with a new one! Down side: no backwards compatibility... But that's fine. I still got a good collection of games. Going though Uncharted: Drake's Fortune again and it's still just as great as when I first played it. Got a PS3? That is a MUST buy along with the sequel. (Also, go and see what inspired me to write this story.)

**Fun fact:** After I put up chapter 8 on here, I went back to this chapter to see if there were any changes to be dealt with. As it turned out, I had to change an entire scene so that it would fit the theme, giving you an idea of what I have in mind, and the scene I had before had too much of a real world connection. If you want to read what was originally there, don't fret. Some of you may or may not know but I actually have a **Bonus Chapter** all planned out. What's the bonus chapter? Think of it as those 'behind the scenes' stuff that you find in DVDs. It includes dialogue, concepts, and what I had planned from the very beginning. You get to see how much work I put into the story and how it came to be the final product. There's just about something in every chapter so there is **a lot** to see. Can't wait for you guys to check it out. :)

**Rant:** You can choose to ignore this but I also want to hear your opinions. What do you think of most (if not all) KH fanfics out there that implement almost 75% - 100% of their stories to Final Fantasy VII? I, for one, think that that's too much and makes me believe that author(s) in question don't know that there are other Final Fantasy's out there that are actually much better than VII. That might sound a little biased considering I actually don't like VII. (Don't give me that face. It's not my fault that it's actually an awful game. The story is a mess, the characters are only playing out to their stereotype (not to mention Cloud seems more bipolar than 'rebellious'), and the graphics may have looked good in 1997, but even that hasn't aged well considering future installments on the original PS. I pretty much call it a draw back since VI. In that game they use the same sprite in battle and in game and the animation allows the player to see the character's expressions from laughter to sadness, but in VII that was completely ignored in favor of Lego meets Play Mobile figures.) In my opinion, there should be more diversity when it comes to Final Fantasy inspired stories and that the bare minimum should be 10% - 15%. This is basically why I kept to using only last names and aliases from not only post-VII but pre-VII as well and the only thing from VII is Cid (mainly because his behavior actually complements the story.) I'm sorry that if you find this offensive, but that's just my opinion (and maybe just a little tired of so many stories out that take too much of VII and not the rest of the games). Feel free to respond (by review or PM) or completely ignore this. Just don't shout at me in saying 'VII is the best! You don't know what you're talking about!' That's not going to change my mind.

Whoops! That was a long rant. Didn't think it would be _that_ long. But I just had to get my thoughts across.

All that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Much love.


	10. The Tunnels

−10−  
The Tunnels

"What do you mean you can't find them?" Marluxia's fists pounded on the conference room table top. His anger reaching its peak at the newly acquired information of Sora and Kairi's disappearance.

"As I said, they vanished," Axel spoke up from across the table, his feet propped up on the table's surface with his hands behind his head.

"Should've killed her when I had the chance," Larxene hissed from Axel's right, glaring her venom eyes to the table with one fist curled around one of her signature daggers.

"If you take out the Queen, we lose our chances of finding the prize," Luxord's British accent poke through with eight rows of cards above and six stacks laying before him. He was in the middle of playing a game of Algerian Patience.

"At least she wouldn't be moving," Larxene spat at him. Luxord didn't pay much attention to her as the game was coming in to his favor. She glared at him. "And why do you have to assign people to your stupid cards?"

"Cards are very powerful tools," he responded while lifting a two of diamonds and placed it on an Ace of the same suit. "If you lose even one, then the entire deck is useless. I like to think the whole world works that way as well. Lose one of the world powers and everything falls apart."

"You are such a creep," she grumbled.

"Enough!" They stopped their banter and turned to the fuming champagne haired man. "The matter at hand is that they are gone and we have no idea where they are."

"Unless you count the place where Axel got his ass kicked," Demyx smirked from another end of the table.

"At least it was by a cute girl. Which is probably more action than _you're_ gonna get," Axel shot back with a sly grin. Demyx only glared at him.

"Then start your search there and don't report in until you find them," Marluxia said as he left the hotel's conference room. Leaving with silence behind him.

"Yeesh, what shoved up his hole today?" Axel asked as he brought his arms down to cross over his chest.

"He's only interested with the reward at the end of this game," Luxord stated like it was matter-of-fact.

"Like you're one to talk," Larxene sneered, hating Luxord's card metaphors with every second. "I'm out of here. I don't want to risk losing my IQ." She got up and followed Marluxia's lead with a sway of her hips.

"She said something entirely different the other night," Luxord added after she had closed the door behind her. Axel let out a smug laugh. Demyx merely gagged in disgust.

"I'm outta here too. The last thing I want to hear is Larxene getting around," he said, closing the door behind him and leaving the Brit to his game and the pyro with his perverse thoughts.

"Hey Luxord?" Axel inquired. Luxord didn't look up but Axel could tell he was listening. "I'm curious now, which Queen did you assign our dear doctor?" Luxord let on a sly smile as he put up the Queen of Hearts to the top row. Axel smirked. "Ah, of course."

"Full of heart and cares for her subjects as she presents her flower."

"And our new silver haired player?" He placed the Jack of Hearts next to the Queen. "Guards the King and Queen, right?"

"Precisely."

"And I would assume that the mercenary is the Suicide King?" Axel asked. Luxord's grin growing more and more wicked as he picked up Jack of Clover and placed it over a ten.

"The game isn't over yet."

* * *

A pair of violet eyes stared at the wall before her... as if they were trying to will it away and go straight to the desired destination.

"So which way...?" Her silver haired companion asked.

Currently, the three reached a fork in the road.

Kairi looked down at the map she was holding with a puzzled look.

"According to this, we should go forward, but..."

"Just choose a direction," Sora abruptly with impatience. It had only been a couple of weeks and the catacombs were starting to get tiresome.

"Something tells me you don't know much about the catacombs," Riku directed at Sora, earning a glare from the brunet.

"If we choose the wrong direction," Kairi brought their attention back, "we might go deeper underground. It's best that we stay close to the surface."

"Riku, you take the left. I'll go right. After five minutes, we report back here to Kairi with our findings."

"Done." The silver haired man started towards the left tunnel and Sora was about to go right when he felt Kairi's hand grasped his wrist.

"Wait, you're leaving me here?"

He turned his head to her and looked at her as if explaining to a child.

"You have to. At the moment, you're the land mark. So we don't get lost."

He turned with the intention to leave.

"Wait." He held in an irritated sigh as he turned back to her. He watched as her free hand pointed to the wall. "Keep an eye on the walls. The deeper you go, the moister they'll be."

"Thanks for the tip," they jumped at the sound of Riku's voice. They hadn't realized that he was still in the area. His echoing footsteps soon disappeared.

"Okay," he sighed and came up with a suggestion. "You should probably start singing though."

Her heart skipped a beat as soon as he said it, completely taken off guard.

"What?"

"So if either one of us gets lost, we'll just follow your voice." She felt hesitant at first, but then reason kicked in as she nodded in understanding. "Questions?"

"Any requests?" He stifled his laugh.

"Just sing something."

He started walking again as he slipped out of Kairi's hand.

"Wait." He held in a grunt as he turned his head to her. "Be careful." He was touched by her concern as he smiled at her.

"Yeah, you too."

He finally started walking into the right tunnel, keeping Kairi's tip in mind as well as her concern. He's not going to deny that he has grown attached to the woman as she has to him. He knows that she has been thinking more of him as of late, her general contact with him was more... how should he describe it... freeing? Unrestrained? Whatever these feelings that was going on between them, he had long given up on labeling them.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and his breathing came to a halt.

_"A dream is a wish, your heart makes..." _Kairi's voice rang through the tunnels. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. He knew that song._ "... When you're fast asleep..." _His mother use to sing it all the time when he was a kid, either while dancing around the kitchen or singing it in his sleep. They were special memories that could never be replaced.

A feeling of guilt entered his chest.

He thought of what his mother would possibly think of him now. She would no doubt be ashamed of him for turning every principal that was drilled into his head upside-down. Hell, she probably rolled over in her grave a few times from the decisions he made.

He looked downcast at the water surrounding his feet. As if it were a metaphor for his sorrow.

Kairi's singing brought back those feelings and he didn't know if he should dislike her or admire her even more.

She had a beautiful singing voice that he would love to hear more often. So calming and enriching. Even a child would sleep to her lullaby. He could even imagine her – he stopped his thinking before it could go in that direction. Instead, he brought his focus back to the present and started continuing down the tunnel.

With Kairi's voice haunting his footsteps.

* * *

She knew the song by heart. It was her favorite from when she was a child. She loved the movie and everything it made her believe. Sure, her ideals have changed as she grew older, but the child inside of her loved to cling to those memories. They were a gentle reminder of simpler times. A reminder of her dreams of finding her prince charming and having her happily ever after.

Dreams she could never have now.

"Hey." Her singing was interrupted by Riku and his splashing foot steps.

"How does it look?" Kairi asked as he approached her.

"Pretty leveled. Another fork though. If Sora comes back with something better, then my way looks like the way to go." He pointed behind him to the tunnel he came from. Kairi nodded and then gave him a confused look as he looked playful down at her. "Funny thing with tunnels. They can really carry your voice around." Her eyebrows shot up and stared at him in total shock. How could she forget about that? It was the reason she was singing! His chuckle caught her off guard. "Yeah, I didn't mean to listen in, but some things caught my ear."  
"Like what?" she asked, now curious on what he had to say.

"The way he was talking to you." She lifted one eyebrow in question. "You're basically seeing the Sora that I knew before Xehanort."

"Really?" She gave a thoughtful look as the idea occurred. "He seems to be more energetic now that I think about it."

"Yup. As time goes, you'll be seeing a lot more of it. You seem to bring it out."

She gave him a flattered look, but failed to see how she was a part of it.

"But I'm not doing anything." He smirked at her.

"Just keep thinking that."

"Hey!" The two turned to see Sora running up to them.

"How's it look?" Riku called out to the brunet as he caught up with them.

"A lot of water down there. You?" Sora asked him as he rejoined the group.

"Dry and close to the surface. Another fork though."

"Lets go then."

Sora walked passed them and started down the tunnel Riku was in. Kairi was about to follow him when she felt Riku's hand on her arm. She turned as he gave a playful look.

"Just think about it," he said to her as he let her go and went down the tunnel after Sora.

* * *

"Hey, Larxene," Demyx inquired the irritated woman. Larxene let out a huff.

Marluxia assigned the two of them to go investigate where Axel lost Kairi. She demanded that she should go alone but Marluxia wouldn't hear it. So now here she was, in an alleyway with the laziest member of the Organization.

"What is it now, shit for brains?" Larxene spat, not even bothering to look in his direction. Ugly might spread that way.

"Check it out."

"I'd rather not," she declared, not even caring if he heard her.

"I'm serious. I think I found out where the Doc went."

She let out an irritated sigh. It better not be a dead rat, which he'll be if it was a dead end.

"This better be important." She turned to him and saw that he squatted down and was holding a long strip of plywood. She raised an eyebrow as she walked over to him, to see that the plywood covered a human sized hole leading underground. Her interest had peaked. She knew the dear Doctor would've gone this way.

"They're probably down there."

She knelt down and put her feet forward into the hole, ready to jump in. Until she felt his hand grab her arm in an instant.

"Woah, wait! These are the catacombs," he declared and she looked indifferently at him.

"So?"

"It's a labyrinth down there. They could be anywhere." She snorted.

"If that princess can navigate there, than so can I." She was ready to jump again but his grip didn't loosen.

"Hold on, lets just get the others and we'll go down together."

She shot him a glare.

"By the time the others get here, those three will be out of Italy."

"They're probably out of Italy anyway." She didn't accept that fact. She knew that wasn't true. It had been a few days and she figured that teenage riffraff wouldn't dare to go deeper into the tunnels. She was an expert tracker, she'll find them in minutes. She jumped into the tunnel without even a glance back. Leaving Demyx to sigh at her stubbornness as she heard him mumble: "Mar's not gonna like this."

She looked around her surroundings. The tunnel went one way and she got out her own flashlight out of one of her pockets.

"Now where are you...?" she asked no one in particular. Willing to bet the answer was not too far. She had walked a good distance, searching for clues to help her find her target. She was almost convinced at one point that she had gone the wrong way, until she spotted a candy bar wrapper floating in the water. She picked it up with her gloved hand and examined it. Normally, a person would discard it and think nothing of it. Not Larxene. She checked the expiration date and saw that the bar would've been good for another week. She smirked at her find.

"Not far." She dropped the wrapper and continued down her chosen path, her pace quickening as she went through tunnel after tunnel. She kept finding more clues as she went and her lust for revenge thickening. It wasn't until she glanced at a mark on the wall. It would've been easily dismissed if it weren't for the fact that she recognized it. A small 'χ' carved into the wall. So generic, but it was _his_ insignia. Not the letter 'X', but the letter Chi.

A smile played on her lips.

"Gotcha you little bitch."

* * *

"... Then Sora actually stood before the car, more drunk than the last guy, urinating like he has two tanks inside him." A hearty laugh escaped her throat. She wiped a stray tear from her left eye. "And then sirens went off and he was looking around to see where it was coming from. Never noticed that it was coming from the car he was pissing on."

She laughed really hard then with Riku joining in. Sora merely looked embarrassed. Not one of his proudest moments, but he was a teenager. What the hell did he know?

"Yeah, yeah. It was _super _funny," he gave an annoyed grunt as a devilish smile crossed his lips. "But you should've seen Riku when he thought it would be funny-"

"Don't tell her that," Riku warned the brunet.

"I'm just getting even," Sora smirked, earning a giggle from Kairi.

"Tell me anyway. I would love to hear Riku's mishap."

The two men exchanged looks. Sora's smug face meeting Riku's glare.

"She wants to hear it, can't deny her of that." Riku grunted and looked away. Sora took it as his permission. "He thought it would be funny if he went into the girls locker room butt naked." Kairi laughed loudly, gaining a satisfactory look from Sora and an annoyed look from Riku. "He had to change gyms after that and suffered from being called a pervert for a whole month."

"It was the alcohol. I had no idea what I was-"

"Shh," Sora stopped. His eyes searching and his hearing strained. Kairi and Riku looked at him curiously, both not liking the look he was making.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, dreading the answer.

"I heard footsteps. Someone's coming." After he had said it, the other two strained their hearing and heard the sound of running footsteps hitting the ankle deep water.

"It's probably a thrill seeker trying to find an adventure," Kairi theorized.

"Regardless, they can't find us here," Riku added in. Kairi wasn't convinced. The brunet rolled his eyes as he grabbed Kairi's arm and made her look at him.

"They might head back to the surface and report us to the cops." After he said it, he dragged Kairi behind him and started running, Riku following behind. The tunnel they've been in was straight forward, until they came to another fork. They stopped and looked in the two tunnels. "Dammit."

"How good is your intuition, Kairi?" Riku asked.

"It's all right, I just don't trust it with ex-boyfriends."

"Good enough, now choose," Sora urged with Kairi looking at the two tunnels.

"This way," she pointed to the left and the three dashed down the tunnel.

"How far is it to Campobasso anyway?"

"We should be there in two days."

"We don't have two days," Sora grunted.

"So then if we don't camp for the night..." Kairi thought. "We'll be there by tomorrow afternoon."

"Good enough for me."

"Run faster."

"Not so fast, whoever's following us is going to hear our footsteps and chase us."

"Over here." Sora found a crevice big enough for two people.

"I'll go on ahead," Riku stated as he ran ahead. Sora pushed Kairi into the small space with him. His hands resting on the wall behind Kairi with each on both sides of her head while she awkwardly placed both her hands on his chest. Their bodies were pressed closely as they can feel each others rapid heart beat. A long silence took over as anticipation and fear raced through their minds. The thought of who it was that was chasing them and what possible motive they might have.

"I KNOW YOU'RE DOWN HERE!" They jumped at the sound of a shrill voice.

"Larxene. Right," Sora sighed, almost expectantly.

"Why is _she_ down here?..." Kairi sighed as well, dreading the inevitable confrontation.

"Rematch?" She sent a glare up at him. Mostly on the fact that he's right which unsettled her nerves even more. Before, Larxene underestimated Kairi's abilities. Now, she knew what to expect from the archeologist. "Riku should handle her though." His voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"How do you figure?" she asked.

"I only won one sparring match against him."

BANG! BANG!

They turned their heads at the sound of the gun shots.

"Who do you think that was?" she asked wearily.

"Both, hopefully."

* * *

Larxene ran down the tunnel as fast as she could, the water not even attempting to slow her down with her eyes raping the walls for the letter. She stopped looking as soon as she heard racing footsteps and followed them. Who knows? They may be her intended target. With her flashlight strapped to her belt, she caught a glimpse of silver making a turn into another tunnel and she followed them.

"Hey!" she called but the silver speck didn't turn around. "Stop!" They only kept running and grating on her nerves. "I said stop!"

She whipped out her one of her trusty knives and threw it towards the speck. She saw that the knife sailed passed the silver head and the idiot was smart enough to halt in his tracks. She approached him and drew another one of her knives and pointed it to the back of his head.

"Woah, easy! I thought you were a cop." She knew that voice. One of three she could never forget. Sora's, Xehanort's, and now...

"Should've guessed it was you," she spat as she watch Riku turned towards her. "I see that you haven't changed at all. Always distracting and always prepared. I hate to break it to you, but it's not like the old days."

He smirked down at her.

"Well, I don't think this is fair. You've got that on me but I've got nothing to offer back."

"Cut the crap. I know you're loaded," she snarled at him.

"You know me so well, Larxene." He grabbed her wrist to draw her knife out but she reached behind his back and grabbed his gun.

BANG! BANG!

The shots shot up at the ceiling as he used his other hand to dodge the gun upwards. Using his elbow, he knocked her in the face and knocked her out. She landed face first into the water as Riku quickly picked her up and leaned her back against the wall. Blood flowed down from her nose and he surmised that he fractured it.

"Luckily for you, I'm through with killing," he said down at her as he got up and ran towards where he last saw Sora and Kairi. He saw the two coming out of a crevice in the wall and quickly approached them.

"Riku!" Kairi called as the silver haired man joined them "Is she-"

"Don't worry, she'll be up and running in a couple hours."

"Then lets move it," Sora barked and they went back to their primary objective. Hoping that no one else was down there with them.

* * *

"How long has she been down there?" the champagne haired man asked the lanky blond, staring down the hole that Larxene disappeared into. He received a shrug from the younger member.

"Couple hours, I think."

"You think or you know?" Luxord drilled as they received a confused look from Demyx.

"I was kinda busy trying to find you guys."

The red pyromaniac who was standing in the background was not paying attention to anything around him. He was lighting the lighter in his hand for pure entertainment. Truth be told, he didn't care where Larxene ended up. She could get killed (although not likely) for all he knew and he wouldn't bat an eyelash. He was annoyed that he had to be dragged to this scene and had to follow in the blond vixen's mistake. That woman didn't know the meaning of self control and unleashed her vicious tongue if need be. He also was not planning on being the receiving end of one of her deadly knives if he said something to piss her off. That's another thing he did not like.

Lethal, but annoying.

A deadly combination.

Axel looked up from his musings when he heard Marluxia call his name, looking as if he had an order to issue.

"You go down and find her. Continue your search once you do."

Axel merely 'tch'ed as he pocketed his lighter.

"Great, go down to the icky tunnels and rescue the village whore," he said, not even close to being excited to go back in the tunnels that are filled with human bones. Just as he edged the hole, he turned back to Marluxia to see him walking off in another direction. "And may I ask what you're doing?"

Marluxia sent him a look that clearly stated that it was none of Axel's business.

"I'm going to make a call."

Axel 'hmph'ed at the champagne haired man as he jumped down the tunnel, half wondering why he only sent the flaming red head down alone and instead of Demyx. He was her partner on this mission after all. He let out an irritated sigh as he was reminded of his boss.

"Larxene!" he called out. He started walking when he didn't hear a response. "Hey! Savage Nymph! You down here?" Still no answer as he walked further. He wanted more than anything to leave but he knew he'd be in a lot of shit if he came back without her. He continued to call her name as his flashlight moved to every nook and cranny of the tunnels until a flash of blond reflected off the light. He flashed his flashlight on it and saw Larxene sitting against the wall.

"There you are," he said as he let on an easy smile. He knelt down next to her and saw that she was wide awake and looking like her anger was bottled up and waiting to explode onto the next victim. How fortunate of him. "Been lookin' all over for you, blondie." He jumped back as soon as he saw her lightning fast arm move with a knife in her hand and nearly slit his throat. "Woah, hey!" he shouted as he looked into her searing eyes.

"Don't call me by my code," she hissed at him.

"Nice to see you too," he shot back as he watched her get up and put away her knife. He got up as well without taking his eyes off her. "So what happened?"

"Silver haired pretty boy."

"Ah." The mystery player returns would be what Luxord would say. He understood now that whoever this guy was, he knew how to take out Larxene.

"At least now, we know who he is," she said as she stormed passed him. He looked at her questioningly.

"You know who he is?" he asked, wanting to know more.

"Yup. Same league as Sora. He was also on team Xehanort."

That made sense.

"So, who is he already?"

"Riku Estheim. Now look him up."

* * *

His feet echoed in the empty hallway. He was on his way to her room again. The only other person he could talk to in this vast mansion. He guessed that the place dates back to the Renaissance period, but he was no historian. Dark halls and an assortment of famous Italian paintings (copies no less) hung from the walls.

He was all by himself now as the team went out to find the three targets, leaving him to baby-sit the beautiful blond woman. He didn't mind so much, as she was the only one he could connect with. He figured out that she was an artist by the stationary paper that littered her room. She was extremely talented and was gentle to boot. He enjoyed spending his time with her. She intrigued him.

He's not going to deny that he's attracted to her, but he felt that he can't enact those feelings to her yet. With the present situation in mind, he didn't want to endanger her any more than she already was. This made his job even more difficult.

He stood in front of her bedroom door and knocked on it three times before entering.

"Hey."

She looked up at his call. She put a smile on her face.

"Roxas," she said as she put down the new stationary he snuck in for her. He also took the liberty of finding different colored pens that he could find and bring them to her. She told him that he didn't need to do that but he did it regardless. "What're you doing here?"

"Thought I'd check up on you," he responded very easily as he leaned against the lone desk beside her. "The other members are away, so I'm bored stiff."

She giggled at him and he found it endearing.

"Any news though?"

"Sorry, none that I can talk about." He hated giving her the run around, but with the camera in the room, he couldn't risk it.

"That's fine," she said and he was relieved. But then she gave him a confused look. "I still don't understand why you're being so nice to me."

"Can't a guy be nice?" he smirked at her, she didn't look convinced.

"Not unless he wants something."

"The only thing I want is your cooperation," he slipped, berating himself now.

"Cooperation? For what? The only thing I know is that my best friend got herself into some trouble and nobody is telling me why or what." He avoided looking at her face, knowing full well that if he looked at her that he would crumble. Then he felt a soft hand touch his and he looked at her to see her pleading eyes. "Roxas, please, tell me what's going on."

"Like I said, I don't know anymore than you do," he lied to her, finding it even more difficult now. She gave him a quirked eyebrow.

"I went to art school, Roxas. I can tell if someone is lying to me." He couldn't look away from those light blue eyes. "Please, Roxas," she pleaded and he felt his walls starting to crumble.

"If I could tell you, I would," he whispered to her. "But seeing as there are camera's in every goddamn room – You get the point." He glared up at the dreaded camera that was sitting in a high corner of the room.

"Even the bathroom?" she whispered back.

"Took 'em out when Larxene started complaining." He looked at her and the look they shared said that they were thinking the same thing. "Tell the next bodyguard that you need to go."

* * *

Wow. Only three people reviewed the last chapter. I know it was kind of boring as it was setting up this chapter (once again two chapter that use to be one.) But regardless. _Special thanks:_ **Redeeming Endeavor**, **tennisdesi91**, **noheartx**, and **dmajorboss **for beta-ing the chapter. As well as anybody else that didn't rip my head off after the last chapter's rant.

**Other news:** I _finally_ got BbS! I know what you're saying. "So what? The game has been out for a year." But I haven't had the opportunity to get it until now. Playing as Ven on Proud Mode now (too scared of CM) and I'm having a lot of fun with him! Can't wait to play as Terra and Aqua after! :D

In other news, I also got a one shot out there called 'Honey.' It's an interesting story that I threw together. It's a subject matter that I wanted to write about for a long time and finally found the story to center it around. Go and check it out.

That said, hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	11. The Detective

−11−  
The Detective

There has been no level of annoyance Marluxia has ever faced, but in recent days that proved to be almost impossible. The three targets have succeeded in alluding the members in the catacombs. The only positive thing that came out of it was that the mysterious silver haired man has now been identified.

His profile included his birth name, Riku Irvine Estheim, that he was twenty-eight years old, born in a hospital in Queens and his hometown is in Staten Island, New York. He's a childhood friend of Sora, one of Xehanort's apprentices, and specializes in defensive maneuvers.

_And a thorn to my side_, he'd like to add. The silver haired man has proven to be a problem for them and his defensive actions have been efficient. It was enough to even take out the hot headed Larxene. He never liked that woman, or anybody in the Organization for that matter. It was his only chance to gain power through intimidation. He liked some missions better than others, especially the ones where he can torture victims and send them to an early grave. Letting everyone know who was in charge and what his true desires were. He never voiced some of those as he was afraid that he would be kicked out and not receive anymore chances.

It took him years, but he was finally able to lead on this mission and have everything his way. So far, that proved to be troublesome.

But none of that mattered at the moment.

An Organization member that was stationed in Campobasso reported about a spiky haired brunet seen in a bar not too far from where he and Axel were heading. The member was reminded that that anyone could have spiky hair, but he insisted that it was the man that they were looking for. So now he was to investigate the sighting with Axel not too far behind.

"On a mission, Mar?" the flaming haired man asked while toying with his flip lighter.

"I am only following orders," Marluxia shot back, his pacing quicker than usual as he eyed the oncoming bar.

"Seems to me that you're a bit _too _focused." The champagne haired man didn't say anything. Merely keeping his concentration on the sole mission. He was not going to lose this supposed chance. This made the pyromaniac think that Marluxia had bigger plans. "Oh I see, trying to get brownie points from the boss?" Axel smirked and Marluxia still didn't respond. Only leading to more suspicion to what he really wanted. Which was high up the ladder, apparently. "Looking at Saïx's seat, huh?"

"That is none of your concern," the champagne haired man quickly responded, not admitting that Axel was pretty close with his accusation. To be honest, he didn't care what happened to the blue haired man that is currently their leader's number two.

"Not Saïx's, huh?" Axel scratched his chin before a thought dawned on him. "Oh, I know..."

Marluxia stopped in his place and turned to the flaming red head.

"Lets focus on the target first," he smirked at the other man and continued walking toward the bar. Axel let out a little laugh.

"Lead the way, boss."

* * *

He must've inherited his need for alcohol from his 'dear old dad.' Because he always found his happiness at the bottom of the bottle. He was already on his third bottle and it still didn't numb the confusion. The choice he was presented with. Whether to stop the Organization from getting what they want, or to tuck tail and run. Everyone was expecting from him and he didn't have a clue on how to answer. His top choices were 'screw you' and 'fine.'

"You're really giving us the run-around here, Mr. Villiers," Sora heard that voice from that voice from the tunnels. It was from that flaming red head. Sora let on a smirk.

"I must be losing my touch. I usually know when I'm being stalked before it even happens," he said as he took a swig from his bottle.

"Call it stalking with purpose." Axel took a seat beside on him at the bar and Sora felt another presence appear on his other side. He turned slightly and saw the champagne haired man looking discernibly at him.

"What do you guys want?" Sora said, letting the two members know how irritated he was.

"We came in regards to your alliance, Sora," he heard Marluxia say to him and he let out a snort.

"What alliance?" He took another swig.

"A dangerous thing, playing dumb with us," Axel said. "So, out with it. Which team are you playing for?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"Gee, I wonder. Maybe because we're paying you," Axel's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It would be wise to let us know on where you stand."

Sora couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat.

"Seems like everyone is giving me choices lately." He took another swig. His answer clear as day now.

"So, what's it going to be?"

"Why ask when you know the answer," Sora smirked.

"And what answer is that?"

"That it's actually fun to kick your sorry asses," Sora laughed, his bottle empty now.

The members exchanged knowing looks. Sora could already figure out what they were thinking.

"Why don't you come with us, Sora."

"I'd rather not."

"I think you should."

"No thanks."

"You misunderstand, Sora. It would be wise to come with us."

"And miss the fun that'll happen soon? Thanks, but I'd rather stay." The two didn't miss the smirk in his voice. Then he heard a click of a gun and people scattering and screaming for the exit, making things a whole lot easier for him.

"You have been warned," Marluxia warned him and Sora only smirked.

"And so have you." In one quick move, Sora uses the bottle and smashes against Marluxia's head. He heard Axel scurrying off, making his fear of Sora more apparent. With Marluxia distracted, Sora grabbed his gun right out of his hand and kneed him in the lower abdomen. He sank to his knees and looked up to see the barrel of his own gun pointed down at him. The last thing he saw was Sora smirking face and the sound of a gun shot. Sora watched as the body fell down in a heap as he stuck the gun down the small of his back and into his pants. Blood pooled and soaked the champagne hair. All life drained from his features and Sora had to mentally laugh at the thought of this assassin actually being a threat. He was never sporting to begin with, but the man had proved to be annoyingly good at his job. Now, there was one less member after them.

"Time to go before the cops show."

* * *

The next evening, the three travelers were about to catch a ferry heading to the Greek island, Corfu. Sora had returned to the two with news of Marluxia's demise and they berated him for attracting attention, thus forcing them to move on from their hotel to the next. However, they were also both happy that Sora had finally come to a decision. That he was sticking with them to the end. Kairi was happy and relieved while Riku gave him a knowing look. Somehow knowing Sora would come to that decision the whole time.

The ferry had left Brindisi and was on its way to the island. The three were up on the top deck, Sora and Kairi leaning against the rail and observing the sea, while Riku sat on a bench looking one hundred percent annoyed.

"So how long do we have to be on this boat?" he asked irritatingly. Sora and Kairi looked at him, she with confusion and a smile on his face.

"Corfu is just a few hours away," Kairi responded and Riku grunted in response. She turned to Sora and asked: "What's the matter with him?"

"He doesn't like boats," he answered.

"Does he get sea sick?"

"No. He just doesn't like 'em."

"I'm going down to the lobby. At least that looks like a solid place," Riku said it as soon as he got up and started walking below the decks. Leaving Sora and Kairi alone on the top deck.

"Spoil sport, isn't he?" she asked while shaking her head.

"You have no idea," he responded as the two looked back out to the sea. Drinking in the sight before while the wind whipped passed them in a gentle caress. The smell of the Aegean Sea filled their senses as the sun shined in tiny crystals off the water.

"I love being out at sea," Kairi sighed.

"Yeah?" he asked her, intrigued by her statement.

"It's wonderfully soothing." He couldn't complain either. It had been a long time since he could just stare out and not think of the potential danger. Where he could just relax his muscles to the beauty around him. "Ansem told me that my mom named me after the sea."

"That so?" he was, once again, intrigued by her.

"Yeah."

"She must've liked it a lot then."

"He also told me that she would go to the beach everyday. We had a house by the beach so it was possible." He found that amusing. Not in a sense that it was impossible, but more fascinating. "I've also seen pictures of my parents wedding day."

"By the beach, right?" he guessed and she laughed.

"Yup. They looked so happy together." He glanced at her and saw a sad look in her face. He was about to ask her until she opened her mouth. "Now I feel ashamed that I don't even remember them."

"Don't say that," it slipped out of his mouth. She looked at him oddly and he flustered with his answer. "I mean, with everything you've accomplished, they'd be proud of you."

There he goes. He just screwed up everything. He didn't see how he can recover from this. She must think he some sort of weird-o.

"You really think so?" He faced her and saw that she had brightened up. Maybe he didn't screw up after all.

"Yeah. I do," he said, filled with honesty. She let out a giggle as he stared at her.

"So, where did that come from?" she asked him and he honestly had no idea what she meant.

"Huh?" he let her know of his confusion.

"The encouragement. Normally you'd brush that aside like it was nothing."

He was absolutely flustered. He didn't know how to respond to her. The encouragement was only there because he didn't want to see her sad.

"I dunno. Just... thinking out loud, I guess," he said rapidly and she continued to giggle at him.

"You should do that more often." He rolled his eyes at her as he pushed himself off the rail.

"Lunch," he said simply as he started towards the galley.

"Lets go find Riku," Kairi suggested, enjoying every moment.

* * *

He returned to the top deck when evening sank into the sky. Leaning against the rail allowing the sun's beauty to soak right in. Allowing his jumbled mind to piece together all that needed to be solved. One part of his moral was done and over it as soon as he pulled the trigger on the champagne haired man. Now there were two parts left. The mystery behind the sword and what possible secrets it may hold as well as what the bad guys want with it. It had to be more than money, that's for sure.

The other part of his confusion was standing not too far away.

"You can come out now," Sora called out to her as he heard her footsteps coming closer to him.

"Sorry. I just came out for some fresh air," Kairi said as she joined him by the rail, also admiring the beauty of the setting sun. "Should I ask?"

"No," he said curtly. He took a sideways glance at her and was immediately lost. The gentle curves in her face with sun's shine complimented her features and her dark red hair blended well with the orange sky. But it was her violet eyes that drew him in. Such a unique color that fit her so well.

Soothing and yet stubborn.

He was tempted to reach out and stroke her smooth skin and lace her hair in between his fingers, just to feel how soft it felt on his hand. But the fear of acting welled in his mind as he knew the result of his pursuing.

It'll never end well.

"Get some rest. You'll need the energy," he told her and she continued to confuse him as she hadn't budged an inch. "Why are you still here?"

It was then that she finally turned to him with a foreign look in her eyes, one that left him breathless. He stood still as she took a step closer to him. Every urge to go to her overwhelmed every fear in his mind. He finally did what his instincts having been telling him to do as he reached his hand to her and stroked her cheek. She leaned into the touch and it was as soft as he imagined. He watched her eyelids flutter and he didn't break the eye contact with her as he brought her close.

His body touched hers and he felt her breath hitch. She looked up at him expectantly, giving him permission and he took every advantage of it. He leaned down at her and captured her lips. Unlike the first where it was rushed and unexpected, this one was filled with his want and tension from the last few weeks. He could do whatever he wanted now and didn't hesitate. His chest soared as her lips moved against his, eager to get a taste out of him. He opened his mouth to her as he pressed her against the railing with both hands roaming at her sides, a moan escaping her throat while she snaked her arms around his neck.

Suddenly, reality crashed into his mind and broke away from her, standing one foot away from her. She looked at him in confusion and disappointment while he shook his head vigorously.

"I can't do this," he said, earning an exasperated look from her. "It's not you. I just... I just need time to think. That's all."

"If I had a nickel for every time a guy told me that..." she muttered while she averted her gaze to the deck. He rubbed his hands on the top of his head as he let out a sigh.

"I mean it though." He took a step closer to her, replacing his hand on her cheek. "I've never met anyone like you. And..."

"Are you telling me that you're afraid?" she shot at him.

"Of course I'm afraid!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her by her shoulders, getting her to look up at him. "I'm dangerous, Kairi. This whole thing could get you killed. And I don't want that." Her look saddened as she understood where he was coming from. She reached up and placed her hand on his chest.

"Sora, I know the risk. And I stayed. It's my choice," she put on a brave tone. "I've had many opportunities to run, but I didn't. What does that tell you?"

"That you're insane."

"I'm serious, Sora," she said in a firm tone. "I care about you."

He shook his head down at her, a smile gracing his lips.

"You're still insane." He rests his forehead against hers, drinking in every aspect of her. What made her... her. He pulled her in and placed another kiss on her.

"As much as I hate to break this precious moment," they broke apart as soon as the chilling voice boomed at them. They looked to the source and found a tall lanky man with long blond hair and piercing green eyes. Not as poisoning as Larxene's, but enough to send chills. They watched as the man approached them, clad in the same black tux and white button up shirt without a tie as the others, he had a clear look that he felt insulted by the two's appearance. Like they were insects that met their end by the bottom of his shoe. "But I honestly don't know how I ended up with a mission such as this." He stopped before them and eyed them very carefully. "I would much prefer being in my lab than track down cretins such as yourselves." He directed his statement more towards Sora, the man glared back at him with equal distaste.

"Another Organization creep, can't say I'm surprised," Sora said with a sarcastic tone.

"And you have been giving us the run around for far too long, Mr. Villiers," the blond haired man glared back as his expression changed to one with gratitude. "But I suppose I should be thanking you instead."

"Thank me?" Sora asked, with suspicion tracing his features.

"Yes." The man moved closer to the two as Sora instinctively reached behind his back. "Marluxia was a pest that needed to be dealt with. The Superior was actually pleased with your actions. So, from himself, he says thank you."

"Superior?" Sora queried. What's the superior?

"What do you want from us?" Kairi demanded rather than asked, bringing the strange man's attention to her.

"Ah, Dr. Kairi Farron. It is such an honor to finally meet you," the man bowed respectfully to her. "I particularly enjoyed your article on the Inca civilization and how they were more of a family and not barbarians that they truly were."

"She asked you a question, asshole." The man looked up and met Sora's blazing eyes.

"I'd watch that mouth if I were you, Villiers," the man shot back at Sora. "But if you must know, I'm only here for observation purposes. I'm not very much of a fighter but science has proved otherwise that the odds out weigh everything else."

"What does that mean?"

"He has a plan, Sora," Kairi answered.

"A plan to kill us, I bet."

"Do mercenaries always think so cynically?" the man asked and it was then that Sora started hearing footsteps surrounding them. "It doesn't matter, not to us anyway."

Like bats out of the shadows, men in black suits came out from the lower decks, benches, every hiding spot you could imagine on a ship and Sora wondered how on Earth he missed them when boarding. A quick head count led him to around thirty men surrounding them and he knew he didn't have enough bullets for all of them. He had to come up with a plan and he had to make it fast.

"Kairi, hold on to me." He felt her wrap her arms around his neck while he snaked his arm around her waist. "When I say go, jump. Got it?"

"Yeah," he heard her say as he backed up to the rail and watched the tuxedoed men draw out their guns.

"GO!" He and Kairi jumped over the rail and were sailing down towards the water below. Sora was quick to reach down and took out his grappling hook and pressed the button to unleash the hooks and pierced one of the portholes. Shattered glass rained down and coming to a sudden halt. Jerking the two midway down and Sora nearly lost his grip.

Sora hung from the hook for dear life with Kairi having a vice grip around his neck.

"Kairi, you okay?" he asked, worried she got injured on the way down.

"Yeah," he felt her nod.

"Good," he said quickly. "Now I want you to reach around my back and get my gun out. The first person you see, shoot."

She pulled away to look at him with fearful eyes.

"Sora-"

"You have to do it, Kairi." She didn't have time to contemplate, she nodded regardless of her feelings. She reached around him and pulled his gun out of his pants.

BANG! BANG!

They looked up and noticed that none of the black suits came to look over the rail and the gun shots pursued.

"You think that was Riku?" she asked.

"Gotta be," his voice strained. The weight of him and Kairi was starting to be too much for his arm. He quickly looked around and saw behind Kairi that there was a window open and big enough for her to fit through. "Kairi, there's an open window over there. You think you can get there?" He nodded towards the window and she looked behind and saw it. She turned back to him with worry etched in her face.

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be right behind you."

Doubt and worry mixed in her chest. She could see the strain in his face and knew very well that if she held on to him, the both of them would fall into the water. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to get to the window. Being that the ship was made of some sort of metal, that proved to be a challenge as there was very little to hold on to.

Sora urged her to hurry and she found support for her toes. She squeezed her fingers into the porthole pane and started towards the open window. Trying her best not to let her sweaty palms get in the way, she was able to reach the open which met at her waist. She started climbing in feet first and looked back to see Sora still dangling. She briefly wondered why he didn't follow her and quickly figured out that he was too big to fit through the small window.

"We still have to talk, Sora," she called back and she watched him roll his eyes despite the pain he must be going through.

"And we will," he called back. She smiled at him, taking it as a promise.

"Be careful," she called out one last time before she disappeared through the window.

"Easier said than done," Sora muttered as he looked around himself. No where to go but up as the saying goes and the gun shots were still ringing. He swallowed whatever pain that was coming from his arm and started to climb. Mindful of the broken porthole and was thankful of his leather fingerless gloves. He took his grappling hook back from the window and used it to throw up at the top deck railing. He thanked whatever God that was looking over him as he snagged on the rail.

He used the rope and started to climb. As soon as he reached the top deck, he looked over and watch the gun fight between the now twenty members and Riku. He quickly climbed over the rail and joined Riku behind a turned over steel bench. He took out his spare gun from his ankle holster and started shooting at the remaining members and couldn't help but notice the blond leader was no where in sight.

"I was wondering where you went," Riku said as soon as Sora joined in.

"Had to take care of Kairi first," Sora responded as he fired another round at a member.

"That mean you got a plan?"

"Working on it." Sora ducked behind the bench and started looking around, his eyes landing on the only salvation on the ship. "We can escape with one of those lifeboats."

"They'll be right behind us," Riku countered, reloading his gun.

"Not unless we take out half of these guys and the ring leader."

"So who's the ring leader?"

The brunet looked around and skimmed for the long blond haired man.

"Coward. He's not here." Then he heard Riku's gun click and watched him reload with only five bullets to his .45.

"We'd better think of something soon, they don't look like they're running out of bullets."

"Tell me you have a plan," Kairi's voice rang through the rain of bullets as both men looked to her and saw her with Sora's 9mm in hand and her duffel bag.

"Working on it." Sora took out two more members before he heard his gun click empty. "Dammit. You have my gun, Kairi?"

"Yeah. Here." She handed him his gun and started shooting at the members again.

"We should break for the lifeboat as soon as we have the chance," Sora told her and she looked to the sole boat.

"Better than being here."

Just as she said it, a grenade rolled down in their direction (thankfully with the pin still in place) and Riku reached out for it.

"I think I found the chance." He pushed down on the handle, took out the pin and tossed it back to the members. They all scattered as it beeped.

BANG!

Members were flying everywhere and the three made a break for the lifeboat. Sora and Riku cut the lines at the same time and watched the boat drop down and landed intact on the water. Kairi tossed her duffel bag down first and watched it land into the boat. Then the three jumped overboard and plummet into the water. Kairi was the first to breach the surface followed by the two men. They swam to the lifeboat as a rain of bullets showered down on them.

Sora got into the boat first and helped Kairi in. Riku pulled himself in and went straight to the motor.

"Get the motor started!" Kairi shouted as Riku pulled the cord.

"Get them you imbeciles!" Sora looked up and saw the blond haired man finally emerge from his hiding place and was staring down at them with fury.

"There's the ring leader!" Sora exclaimed as Riku looked up and saw the man.

"I got him." Riku took out his gun and used his only shot and it went straight into the man's shoulder.

"Ah!" They heard the man scream and they were all satisfied with the result.

"That'll keep him busy for awhile," the silver haired man retorted as he started the motor and they were on their way. As soon as they were a good distance away from the ferry, they all took deep breaths and relaxed every muscle in their bodies. All mentally and physically exhausted, knowing full well that they can't relax just yet.

Watching as the sun dipped into the horizon.

"Which way?" Sora directed his question at Kairi. She took her time to search through her bag and retrieved her trusty compass.

"We need to head east," she swallowed and pointed in one direction. "That way. We should be there in two hours."

"Another trip cut short," Riku said. "We'll never get a break, huh?"

* * *

"Oh. My. God," Naminé slumped down onto the toilet seat. Roxas just finished explaining all that he knew of the present situation as he leaned against the bathroom sink with his arms crossed. "Are you sure?" she asked, almost desperate for the information to not be true. The Californian nodded gravely.

"Positive," he responded as the light blond haired woman put her face into her hands. Roxas let out a sigh. "I know that it's a lot to take in-"

"Are you kidding me? This is too much!" she exclaimed as Roxas raised his hand.

"Lower your voice. We don't want to get caught," he whispered and Naminé took in a few breaths. Now focusing her attention on the man that stood before her.

"So what about you? Are you a spy or something?"

"Close, but not really there." She gave him an unconvincing look. He let out a breath of air as he saw he had no choice now. He pushed himself off the sink and looked directly down at her. "Normally, I'd show you my badge but it's not on me at the moment." She gave him a confused look, but the stare he gave her was so intense that she almost recognized it from back home. "Detective Roxas Almesy of LAPD. Homicide Division."

Her eyes widened. Her heart hammering against her chest. Opening and closing her mouth as she took in the information like a fish out of the water.

"De-De-" she managed to say, dropping her hands to her lap and slumped against the back seat of the toilet. "This is way over my head," she muttered, her head spinning even more than five minutes ago. It was all frustrating, knowing that her best friend is out to find this ancient sword that probably doesn't even exist and that she got kidnapped by a mercenary because of it. Kairi can take care of herself, but she was a work-aholic and that has gotten her into trouble from time to time. But this time... Naminé didn't want to think of what of the danger her friend placed herself in.

Then there was the man standing before her. A detective? Here? Why? How? So many questions popped in her head and she doesn't where to begin.

"So why are you here?" she started with her most burning question at Roxas, putting her focus on him.

"The guy who hired me is the Director of Interpol, he wanted the Organization to be investigated. He saw my credentials and thought I'd be best for the job," he answered, truthfully, but she found it strange.

"Why you? What makes you any special from NATO or something?" He understood her question, mainly that he asked the Director that himself.

"Well, normally, this falls under Interpol, but these guys have committed crimes all over the place. Including US soil. So far, I got these guys connected to several murders back in LA."

"So why haven't you arrested anybody yet?"

He lifted his hand and held up three fingers.

"One, they know who I am. Two, it's circumstantial at the moment. And three, opportunity," he told her, dropping a finger for every point.

"So what'll it take for you to make arrests?"

"Catching them in the act."

"And they already know about you?"

"Pretty much. My cover story is that I got tired of arresting the bad guys and not get any due for it."

She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"And they don't believe you?"

"More or less. I still have to prove my loyalty."

"How?" He gave her a grave look and averted his eyes to the tiled floor.

"You don't want to know," he muttered and he could sense her getting angry.

"And why not?"

He hesitated, feeling her anger grow even more. He figured that the more she knew, the better.

"It involves you," he answered and she gave him a look that demanded more of an answer. No use sugar-coating it now. "If you're friend goes out of line, I have no choice but to kill you."

She took in a sharp breath. Eyes widened and tears threatened to spill. She replaced her hands over her face. This can't be happening. It can't be. It's all a nightmare. There's no way...

"No..." she breathed. It's not a dream. She would've woken up by now if it were. She wanted to go home. She wanted to forget everything she went through. She wanted to get away from Roxas. She wanted to go back to her boring life at the museum. She wanted to have her afternoon lunch breaks with Kairi. Kairi! She shot her eyes up at him and gave him a desperate look. "But Kairi-"

"I know," he interrupted her, knowing full well of what she must be thinking.

Her depression turned to anger in a split second.

"Then why are you telling me this? To prepare me?"

"No. I'm telling you because you have the right to know." He pushed himself off the sink and went to her. He crouched down in front of her and stared directly into her sky blue eyes. "But, if anything, I don't have any plans on doing so."

She gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

* * *

**A/N:** *GASP* Did all of that really just happen? Did Sora just kill Marluxia? Does Riku have an irrational fear of boats? Did Sora and Kairi finally kiss? Was that Vexen being an ass? Did that gun fight really happen? Roxas is a detective? WHAH? Nah. This was all just a stupid dream that the Sora we all know and love wakes up from. Lol. Kidding!

But honestly though, this was an exciting chapter, huh? Admittedly, the gun fight on the ferry was a last minute addition when I realized there weren't that many action scenes in the fic. That changed, of course. Plus, I really like how this chapter came out.

_Special thanks:_ **nohearty**, **Redeeming Endeavor**, **ash-nobody**, **ayoo**, **Don't Shoot the Puppy **(I never mentioned this, but I actually like your name. Hehe.), **MagixSxientixt24**, **tennisdesi91**, and **Sylvia** for the kind thoughts in your reviews. As well **Dmajorboss** for his thoughts and advice.

Anonymous Reviews:

**ayoo: **Thank you very much! I'm glad that my story made you think of all those movies/games. That makes me feel like I'm doing something right. :D As for the monthly update thing (this would be the second update within a month, by the way) I kind of don't see the problem in that considering there are authors out there that take more than a month to update (not targeting anyone exactly) or just don't finish what they started. But thanks for pointing that out though.

**Sylvia: **Aw! Thank you! I considered being an author back when I was in high school, but I later realize that I'm a better artist than an author (I have _terrible_ grammar which is why I have asked for an editor.)

Hoped you guys liked it as much as I did! And don't forget to click on the review button. :D


	12. The Diver

A/N: Make sure to read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter. It's very important.

* * *

–12–  
The Diver

"So what boat are we looking for anyway?" the silver haired man complained. He and his two companions arrived in Yeniköy the previous night and were completely exhausted.

A week had passed since their escape from the ferry filled with Organization members. The boat that Ansem provided took them to Kyllini, and they went from city to city hopping taxis, buses, any sort of transportation to get to an airport. They quickly found out that Ansem also provided them with a private jet in Athens International Airport (to Riku's relief, he didn't feel like going on another boat at the time.) It took them to Canakkale and the group took a taxi to Yeniköy. They had a run in with the Organization a time or two on the way and managed to take out a few members. Riku explained to the two that they were lower ranked members. "Nobody's", they were called. Suffice it to say, the Nobodies were enough to exhaust them until the next day, when they got their deserved rest and relaxation.

"It's called the _Highwind,_" Kairi responded, full of energy. The three walked along the dock and looked at all the boats for the one they were looking for.

"Great. Lets get this done and over with so we can continue." Riku's behavior was peculiar, she had thought. What was up with the cynicism?

"He _really_ doesn't like boats, does he?" She asked Sora and she saw him smirk.

"I think it has something to do with his dad's dingy flipping over with them in it."

"That's awful," she stated but was confused when Sora started snickering.

"Not really. It was ankle deep water."

"It's not even that!" Riku exclaimed, seriously. "You just saw what happened on that ferry."

"All the more reason to move forward," Kairi stated, earning approving nods from the two men.

"Hey!" They turned and saw a person waving for them to come closer. Sora and Riku exchanged suspicious looks as they followed Kairi to the boat. Upon arrival, they saw the boat was named the _Highwind_ and that the person that called them over was a young woman with short raven hair that went passed her ears and midnight blue eyes. A black tank top covered her torso and black short shorts exposed her pale legs. "Ansem's party, right?" The woman asked and Kairi smiled and nodded in response. The woman then stuck her hand out to the red head. "Xion Arrowny. Dive Master."

"Dr. Kairi Farron. Call me Kairi," she responded while taking Xion's hand into hers and shook it. She turned to the remaining two and shook each of their hands.

"Locke."

"Tidus."

Kairi gave the two an annoyed look. Sometimes, they could be _too_ suspicious and didn't recognize a normal person when they saw one.

"Nice to meet you," she heard Xion say to them and then added, "Although it would be nice to know your real names."

Kairi held in her laugh; the looks on the two men's faces were priceless. Completely stupefied and having no choice.

"Riku Estheim."

"Sora Villiers." They said begrudgingly while both women had a smug smile.

"That's better, and you can call me Xion," the raven haired woman nodded and allowed them to enter her boat, a typical diving boat.

"You knew who we were, didn't you?" Riku asked, incredulously.

"When you work for a man like Ansem, there are no secrets," Xion responded as she turned the ignition.

"That's true," Kairi agreed and the two men had to hold in their irritation for the old man.

"So then he must've told you what's at stake." Sora added as he sat down.

"Gave me a little description. But it's enough to paint a picture," she responded as she kept her eyes out on the water. "We'll talk more once we're out. Never know who might be listening."

* * *

"So Arrowny, how long have you been working for Ansem?" Sora asked as the group was half way to their destination. According to Kairi, whatever it is they were looking for was somewhere between the islands of Bozcaada and an uninhabited island just north of it.

"A few months now. Basically recruited me because of my credentials."

"Credentials?" Kairi asked.

"It's nothing. Mostly ship wreck diving," Xion responded "I've been told that I'm one of the few women to make it out of the _Andrea Doria_ wreck."

Kairi's eyes widened. "Wow! That's really impressive," she expressed while Xion merely shrugged her shoulders.

"I assume you have a diver's license, Kairi?" Xion asked and Kairi nodded.

"Had it renewed this year as a matter of fact."

"That's a relief." Xion turned off the ignition as they arrived. "No offense to them, but they look like they have land legs," she whispered to Kairi as she pointed to the two men, one was annoyed and staring daggers to the floor while the other took his shirt off and absorbed the sun's rays. Kairi had to hold in a laugh as Xion was fairly accurate.

"Riku does, that's for sure," Kairi responded and earned a laugh from the other woman.

Sora turned as he heard the women laugh for no apparent reason and watching them as they went to the bow while Xion released the anchor.

"Women," he snorted. He recognized gossiping women when he saw them.

"Hey, you like one of them," Riku retorted, earning a glare from the other man.

"Shut up," He snarled as he watched Riku get up and walked over towards the women.

"So, Xion, how much did Ansem tell you?" He asked her with a charming smile, his aquamarine meeting her midnight blue, earning him a smile from her.

"That you guys are looking for a mythical sword. You really think you'll find something down there?" She asked him. Kairi merely shrugged.

"I don't know. For all we know, it might be another clue," She answered honestly.

"Archeology at it's best, huh?" She said, being insightful while Kairi nodded her head sheepishly.

"Pretty much."

"Arrowny-" Sora was cut off by the raven haired woman's annoyed look.

"Call me Xion," She insisted, but Sora gave her a look that said otherwise.

"You are aware of what Riku and I are capable of, right?" He asked as he got up and joined the group with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ansem only told me that you two are ex-mercenaries," Xion responded, giving the brunette a weary eye.

"_Ex_-mercenaries?" Sora emphasized, dubiously.

"Yeah," She replied shortly as she turned back to Riku and Kairi. "After, he reassured me a dozen times that you're one of the good guys. I don't see any reason why I have to abandon you out here."

Sora saw through that sentence. Heard the threat laced behind the simplicity. He knew what she was really saying to him as he shot a glare to the back of her exposed neck.

"You sneaky bitch," He said with a bite, earning a shocked and disapproving look from Kairi.

"Sora!"

"I assure you, Sora," Xion started, now directing her attention to him. "That if anything happens on this boat, I won't hesitate to throw you overboard."

Sora stared at her, noting her serious tone. This girl didn't trust him, that's understandable. Who would with the present situation that they were in, other than Kairi?

"Fair enough," He said before getting dragged by the arm by an angered red head to the stern.

"What's the matter with you, Sora?" She scolded and he looked at her like she should know by now.

"Kairi, I was trained to not trust people right away. You understand where I'm coming from?" He asked her, hoping he didn't have to spell it out even more. Instead, he received a sharp look from her with a shake of her head.

"I don't get you sometimes," She muttered.

"I feel the same about you," He shot back at her, a familiar feeling rising in his chest.

While the two were arguing, Xion and Riku were observing them. Xion in particular couldn't help but notice that the two were fighting like an old married couple. Which was wrong on so many levels. She could not believe that there would be _anything_ between the two. She thought Kairi was too smart to fall for that man's lies and the countless lives that ended at his hands. How could someone like her be interested in a guy like him?

"Hey, Riku." The silver haired man looked at Xion, her attention towards the arguing couple. He could already guess what her question to him was.

"Yeah?" He asked her as he watched her lift her hand.

"What's going on between those two?" She pointed between Sora and Kairi. Riku nodded in understanding.

"Ah, you noticed," He responded with a knowing smile. "So far, they're only building up the sexual tension."

Xion's eyebrows lifted.

"They have it that bad?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing from him.

"You can tell right away," Riku interrupted her thoughts and then explained to her. "I've been trained to catch these sort of things. Body language, I mean."

"Is that so?" She asked, interested in what he had to tell her.

"Yup." He lifted his hand and pointed at the brunette. "Take Sora, for example, that look in his eyes and his grip on the rail says that he wants her clothes off. But his eyebrows are lowered, saying that he's confused about what he should do. And she's been sighing a lot lately. She knows she wants him."

"Wow. You really pay attention to this sort of thing." She was impressed with how much he could really see. Indicating that the three have been traveling together for a long while now and can basically read each other like a book.

"It's nothing," Riku said with a shrug, and his look turned playful. "But I like to give him a hard time about it every now and then." He pointed to Sora and Xion couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her throat.

"You sound like a good friend," She pointed out as he gave her a look that feigned confidence.

"Well, I don't know about Sora, but I like to look out for my friends."

* * *

"So what's the story to this sword anyway?" Xion asked as she put on her wet suit, Riku helping her zip up her back.

"It's the Sword of Peleus," Kairi responded as she got up from her seat and put on her oxygen tank, with Sora's help. They went through all the procedures and made sure that everything was in check before the two women entered the water.

"Sword of Peleus?" Xion asked as Riku helped her put on her tank.

"Yeah. Peleus was one of Jason's Argonauts. According to legend, anyone that wields it is guaranteed a victory in battle."

"And if it's real, it'd be worth a lot. Huh?"

Kairi frowned in disgust.

"Seems like that's the only thing people think of these days."

"Business like this, it's always about money," Xion countered.

"Kairi? May I have a word with you, now?" She was surprised as she felt herself being dragged by Sora's strong hand on her wrist.

"What's going on?" She asked as they stayed a good distance from Xion and Riku, only to receive a stern look from the brunette.

"You may not want to tell her everything we know," He warned as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Why not?"

"You never know who she might be _really_ working for."

She scoffed at him.

"Don't be ridiculous. She's a marine archeologist and is only interested in helping us."

"And she threatened to toss us overboard if we did something funny."

"No. She threatened _you_." She poked his chest with her index finger. "And if you ask me, she has every reason to think so."

"And we're back to this, huh?" She glared and let out a huff as she stormed off to finish her preparations. He could see that Xion was ready and waiting as he shook his head. "I really don't get women sometimes," He muttered and didn't see Riku had already joined him.

"The way that I figure it, she's just as confused about you," he heard the taller man respond.

"Don't give me that body reading crap," He responded with a bite in his voice.

"I can also see that something happened between the two of you. Care to share?"

Sora was not in the mood for anything at the moment. "None of your business," He shot at him, only to receive a smirk from Riku.

"Swearing a lot less too. Being polite around her now?"

Sora glared at the older man. "Screw you." With that, he left the smirking man to help Kairi prepare for the dive.

* * *

A couple days had passed and they hadn't had any luck. Ansem could only get a diving permit for three dives and the group used up the first two. It would take months to get permitted again. As it seemed to everyone that it was starting to get hopeless, Kairi remained optimistic. She had experience that things are never found on the first try and the second only eliminated another option. The third try, however, always seemed the most likely and her favorite number. She wasn't certain, but she could almost feel that the next dive was the one where they'll actually discover something. What it was? Time would only tell.

"Hey Kairi?" She was brought out of thinking to look at the only other female on the boat. Night had already fallen and the two women shared the only cabin in the boat. Sora and Riku were up on deck sleeping in sleeping bags. They didn't complain, though, as they were both gentlemen in letting the women have the only two beds available.

But she had her suspicions during the day when Xion claimed she was taking a nap and Riku said he was going to use the toilet.

"Yeah?" She responded, seeing that Xion never bothered to turn off the light.

"What's going on between you and Sora?" The raven haired woman asked, very boldly. Kairi was surprised by the question. Were they that obvious? Did they look like something had happened that the two haven't even discussed yet? She gave the other woman a questionable look. Xion gave her an unbelieving laugh. "C'mon, don't think I didn't notice," She continued. "Riku says that there's something going on."

There was no point in lying to her now, Kairi thought. She put on an easy smile as a light blush highlighted her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, I don't know myself. And I'm not use to that." It was Xion's turn to give the red head a confused look.

"Why's that?" She pressed, Kairi shaking her head.

"I've always been certain about a lot of things. But Sora... I shouldn't like him, but I do," She said with an unfamiliar feeling her chest.

"Right, you're an archeologist. It's your job to know everything, right?" Xion asked, knowing full well what Kairi was talking about.

"Basically," She sighed, reaching up to toy with her own necklace. "This whole thing with him is completely throwing me off."

"Have you guys kissed yet?"

Her blush turned a deeper shade of red.

"Y-Yeah. The first we had was just so we could hide from Riku. But then we did it again a week ago." Her face fell. "But when we did... He pushed me away again."

"Did he tell you why?"

"Basically, he wants to protect me. He warned me of how dangerous he is. But the thing is, I want to be with him. Despite how dangerous he–it might be." She grew frustrated as his whole speech repeated in her head, letting her feelings rise up and catch in her throat. Then, with a determined look, she sat up on her bed and shot a look at Xion. "Y'know what? I don't care. I like him and he likes me too. We might have problems, but what couple doesn't?"

Xion was surprised by this statement, she let it show that she was concerned about Kairi's well-being. She sat up as well, and looked to the red head with a serious look in her eyes.

"Let me ask you something, Kairi," She said, earning a puzzled look in return. "In what world would an archeologist be with a mercenary, romantically?"

Kairi was taken aback by the question. It was a very good question and she had no doubt that a few weeks ago she used to think the same way. But the circumstances they were tossed sounded like something from a TV show, novel, or a movie. None of it was supposed to happen and yet it did anyway.

"You're dealing with a killer, Kairi. Don't forget that."

"I know," She reminded herself. This was Sora Villiers, a soulless mercenary with a troubling past that'll haunt him for the rest of his life. Which reminded her of another thing. "He told me everything though. Doesn't that count for something?"

Xion's confused look came back. "What do you mean he told you everything?"

Kairi gave a gentle smile as she remembered that night with Sora.

"He told me about what he's done and all the people he killed. But somehow, he was able to open up to me. Riku said that I'm the first outsider to know about what he did."

Xion's eyes widened. She'd never thought that _Sora_ would be capable of doing such a deed. "Wow. You must mean something to him," She said. Adding a serious look, she continued. "But that doesn't excuse him for what he did."

Kairi could see what her female companion was saying. It didn't get past her with Xion's incessant attempts to suede Kairi's judgment. That she was making a mistake that she could never take back. It's true that she never wanted to be brought on this adventure and she never wanted to fall for a _mercenary._ But she knew a long time ago that you could never change how you feel about someone. Sora has proved time and again that underneath that tough hide lurks his morality. With time and patience, even something that was long thought forgotten can come back in unexpected ways.

People are capable to change. No matter what the profession.

"Why are you so against him?" Kairi asked.

"Simple. I don't trust him on this boat," She responded as she lay back down on her bed and reached for the light switch. "I'm only saying, be careful around him."

* * *

A pretty boring chapter that sets up the next. And I also wanted to remind you guys about Sora and Kairi's relationship. You thought after that awesome kiss that they would be lovey-dovey from here on out, huh? Nope! Not falling for that cliché.

Anyways, you want to know what's so important? Something that's so very important that I had to mention how important it is at the start of the chapter? You ready? Too bad!

Today is the one year anniversary of when I posted the first chapter on to and DeviantART! To celebrate this little occasion, I put up a link in my profile that says 'One Year Present'. Click on it and you'll receive your surprise! Also, I would like to thank every single one of you! Not just the reviewers, but everyone that took the time to read the story from start to (not quite) finish. I look at the stats everyday and it's warms me up to see so many people from so many countries coming to check out this very special story.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And a special thanks to **HalfHuman007** from DeviantART for beta-ing the chapter.

I hate to leave this on a sour note (considering the occasion), but **Dmajorboss**, the stories other beta and a very dear friend of mine, has been hospitalized with Sarcoma. So give him your deepest thoughts and wish him the very best.

That said, can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Take care!


	13. The Boat

**A/N:** Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. I've been busy, my beta's been busy. I got a huge test coming up within a week so I have to study for that.

Remember to read the author's note at the end.

* * *

−13−  
The Boat

A thin line separates us from the comforts of land to the mysteries of the deep. Crystal blue that no one can describe to the fullest extent is often misunderstood. So many colors you'd wish that you could see forever. You have to see it with your own eyes to really appreciate the beauty that lies below. The flora, the fauna, and the colorful reefs that littered the floor. The places that the ocean life called home.

However, you could only see this beauty for a limited time.

A shame really, but Kairi wouldn't trade it for the world. This was the last dive and she couldn't afford to go back to the boat empty handed. The map she and Sora found in the catacombs only proved that the GPS coordinates have changed over time. She could only make out a few points on the map but had to narrow it down to three. The first two were duds and now things seemed utterly hopeless. But that didn't mean that she was giving up.

"Maybe you got the coordinates wrong." She heard Xion's voice in her ear piece. She pushed a button on her wrist as she surveyed the rocky landscape.

"No. I'm positive this time," she responded, her voice filled with confidence.

"Let me remind you that this is the last dive." She didn't want to be reminded, it only made time grow shorter. "Wait, what's that?"

Kairi looked in time to see what Xion was seeing and she couldn't believe her eyes.

"You girls found something?" She heard Riku's voice. He and Sora were still on the boat, monitoring the events and communicating through the radio.

She swam forward to widen her view, trying to contain her excitement.

"Hold on, we'll go further in," she informed them, her flippers moving her forward.

"What's it look like?" Riku asked again.

"It... It looks like a boat!" Kairi exclaimed, as she stared down at the large boat – no, ship below her. She could see it was from ancient Greece as it had row upon row of seats for the slaves to keep the ship moving. The mast was broken off and leaning towards the starboard side while the sail was eaten away by bacteria a long time ago and the paint was all gone. The oars still lined the sides of the ship as if they hadn't moved for over two thousand years.

"A boat? We came all this way for a boat?" She heard Sora's voice with a puzzled tone.

"Hang on..."She swam down to get a better look at the ship."Xion, how many oars do you see?"She asked her companion. She could see the raven haired woman swimming not too far, also heading towards the ship.

"I'm getting at least twenty five," She answered. That confirmed one of the facts that popped in her head. Kairi looked at the large boat from bow to stern, and then from port to starboard.

"At least thirty by four meters in length and width," She said thoughtfully.

"And what's that in American?" She honestly thought Sora would say something like that, not Riku.

"Ninety-eight by thirteen feet," She clarified and she heard a whistle through her ear piece.

"That's a big boat."

"Kairi..." She heard Xion, the realization must have dawned on her as well. "Do you think it's-"

"I really do. It would explain so much."

"Care to share with us, ladies?" Kairi let out a little laugh as she stared down at the legendary ship below her.

"This could possibly be the _Argo_," She said with certainty.

"_Argo_?"She heard Sora ask.

"The ship Jason used with his Argonauts on his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Since Peleus was one of his Argonauts, it could be that something was left behind the ship," Kairi explained.

"That's great, so what are you looking for?"Riku asked as she analyzed the wreck.

"We should look for something dealing with Eris, the Trojan War, or something that shouldn't be there."

"Lets hope we find something before we run out of air,"said Xion.

They swam closer to the ship and started examining her from top to bottom. Seeing if anything could be salvaged and wouldn't deteriorate as soon as it's exposed to the open air that waits above the water surface.

"Any luck?"She heard Sora ask.

"Nothing yet."

"In any case, we should salvage anything we can get. This is our last chance."

"Are you saying that because you want to be credited for finding the _Argo_?"

Kairi couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

"That's just a bonus."

* * *

"So, what have we got?" Riku asked the two women sitting before him. They returned to the boat with near emptied tanks and bags filled with treasure. Not gold and silver, but vases, pottery, and statues.

"Nothing of significance for me," Xion sighed, disappointed that she couldn't find anything of value. Not according to Kairi anyway.

"What about you, Kairi?" Sora asked, receiving a satisfying grin from her.

"I found this." She dug into her bag and pulled out a fairly large, but surprisingly light, statue. The others sighed in disbelief upon viewing the piece.

"Another statue," Sora groaned. They found nothing and they wouldn't get another chance for several months.

"This time a horse," She told them as they looked closer at the statue.

"A horse?" Xion asked, like it was the first time she saw it, and making the connection very fast in her mind.

"Yup. No doubt depicting the very famous horse."

"The Trojan Horse." Sora added in thoughtfully.

"That's right."

"So, anything significant on it?"

"Let's see here," Kairi started examining every bit of it. Traditional Greek design, made of clay, and the horse itself was standing on a base on only it's hind legs, like it was ready to leap off the base. There wasn't any writing on it, not even an artist's signature. "Nothing on the outside..." she trailed, but she couldn't get over how _light _it was, despite the clay. A thought occurred to her and it bit her chest. "I _really _hate to do this."

"Do what?" Sora asked, not liking the face she was making.

She stood up with the statue in her hands and raised it above her head. Everyone's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Kairi!" Xion exclaimed, but was too late. Kairi sent the statue crashing down on the deck and watched as it smashed into pieces.

"Kairi! What the hell?" Sora demanded. Why on God's green Earth would she destroy a possible lead to the sword?

She ignored her comrades as she knelt down and started flipping the pieces over.

"The Trojan Horse is famous for being hollow on the inside. And if we..." She trailed off as she moved more pieces aside to find a round piece of metal, about the size of the palm of her hand, with square holes going along the edge and engraved writing around the center. "Another iron plate?" She inquired, curiously.

"Does it say anything?" Sora asked, only to receive a shake of her head.

"It says- What's that sound?"

"What?" Xion asked with confusion. The two men, however, stood up and surveyed their surroundings. They heard and watched another boat speeding its way to them and a feeling of dread enveloped them.

"Get down below. Kairi, gather the pieces," Sora instructed, watching the boat coming to view. Kairi gathered all the pieces and marched with Xion down to the bedroom. Sora crouched down to his knees along with Riku and continued to watch the boat come in. It stopped beside them and it doesn't look the least bit welcoming. "Dammit," Sora grunted.

"I am so sick of this," Riku hissed.

"What's going on?" They heard Xion calling up to them.

"Just stay down!" Riku called down, crawling towards the door and joining the two women.

"We know that you're there," They heard a man's voice calling to them through the radio. He sounded like he was from California and his voice sounded every bit conniving. "You may as well come out with whatever it is that you've found," The man reasoned with them.

"Who are they?" Xion asked, lost on what's happening around them. Sora joined them in a second as Riku took the duffel bag out from under Kairi's bed. He unzipped it and took out his .45 and handed Sora his 9mm. Xion stared at them, flabbergasted.

"You brought guns on this boat?" She exclaimed.

"Ex-mercenaries, duh," The silver haired man stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"C'mon, tiger," They heard the man again over the radio. "You don't want us to blow up the boat with you on it. Or hurt the good Doctor for that matter."

Riku got up and peered out over the deck with his gun out and ready to shoot, but he quickly back down as soon as he saw one of the men on the other boat was holding up a _very large_ gun.

"Shit," He cursed, letting the others know of his distress.

"What is it?" Sora demanded and was met with a defeated look.

"Lexaeus has an RPG." Sora's eyes widened, knowing full well of what had to be done.

"Lexaeus?" Kairi questioned as she watched the two men walk back in and put the guns back into the bag. "What are you doing?" She didn't understand what their actions as they both gave her a defeated look.

"We're no match for an RPG," The brunette stated. Riku picked up the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"What? So you're just going to give up?" The raven haired woman questioned, earning Riku's dejected look.

"We don't want to, but we've got no other choice."

* * *

Sora felt himself getting shoved down to his knees and glaring down onto the floor of the boat with his wrists bound by duct tape. He hissed when he felt a strong hand tugging on his hair and pulling him back to look up at the man standing before him. The man was built in structure and the smirk seemed to be permanently attached to his face. His hair was graying on the sides and the long ponytail was an attempt to make him look younger, but the eye patch that covered his right eye and the scars gave him an imposing demeanor. And that lone orange eye, to a normal person, would send chills down their spine. It was a good thing that Sora was far from normal.

His eyes shifted to his left and saw Riku in a similar position, only no one was tugging on his hair. The same went for Xion and Kairi on his right. However, the man that stood behind him had a much bigger build, dreadlocks sprouting from his head, sideburns that hooked around his cheeks, and violent purple eyes.

He looked up to the man again to see him laughing down at the brunette.

"There's a good boy," the man taunted down at him while Sora sneered back up at him. "I hope you don't have a plan in that big head of yours." He poked Sora's forehead with his index finger. Sora held in a growl. "Because whatever it is, it's going up in smoke."

As soon as Eye Patch lifted his hand, the other man with a similar build to Dreadlocks only with short brown hair, the man Riku called Lexaeus, pulled the trigger of the RPG and the group watched the bomb sail towards the boat that they were on just five minutes ago.

BOOM!

"No!" Xion yelled as she watched the boat blow up into splinters and slowly sink down to join the _Argo._

"Relax, young lady, it's not like it was _your_ boat," Eye Patch laughed and the raven haired woman glared harshly as she watched him walk toward her and knelt down before her. "Speaking of which," He grabbed her hair, enjoying her wince, and made her look at him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Why should I tell you?" She asked him back through her teeth. He released her roughly and watched as her head bobbed forward.

"You tell us, or we'll kill you. Or don't tell us, and we kill you anyway."

"So I'm dead either way. In that case, bite me," She spat up at him, earning an irritated look from him. But then, shockingly, he started to laugh.

"You're a brave young lady. I'll be sure to put that on your tombstone." He took his gun out from its holster and pointed it directly between her eyebrows.

"No!" Kairi screamed, gaining Eye Patch's attention. He merely 'hmph'ed at the red head.

"Sorry, Doc. But you have no say in this." He looked to the raven haired woman and prepared to pull the trigger.

"I'll tell you everything!" The red head cried in a desperate plea, earning wide eyes from her friends.

"Kairi, no!" Sora exclaimed, receiving a fierce tug on his head and kicked his left kidney.

"Shut up!" Dreadlocks shouted down at him.

"What's that?" Eye Patched asked, feeling intrigued by the Doctor's offer as he marched over to her.

"I'll tell you everything we know and found. Just don't kill her," She offered, but the man merely gave her a crooked smile.

"Hmm... That does sound promising," He trailed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But how do I know you're not shitting with us?"

"What choice do I have?" She glared up at him, earning a hearty laugh from him.

"There's always a choice, Doc. You can choose to lie to us, spare your friend's life and we end up finding out that you were and pay for the consequences. Or there's the opposite of that." He knelt down in front of her and gave her a daring look. "So, what's it going to be?"

She gave him a strong glare. She hated to do this guys bidding but inner conflicts would deny her of her choice.

"Kairi," She turned to see Xion giving her a look that was asking for a favor. "Don't tell them anything. My life is not worth saving."

"I don't believe that," Kairi shot at the raven haired women and then turned back to Eye Patch man. "We found the _Argo_ down there."

Her friends gave her disappointed looks.

"_Argo_?" Eye Patch asked inquisitively.

"Jason's ship. I found a statue down there. It was of a horse. It had an inscription on it. The coordinates for Athens."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'd prove it, but you confiscated my bag."

He gave her a suspicious look.

"Did it say where in Athens we should look?"

She averted her guilty gaze to the floor.

"You have to look for the oldest building there. There's a passageway in there that will lead you to the sword."

He let out a small laugh as he cupped her chin and made her look at him.

"That wasn't so hard now was it?" He whispered down at her and she fought every urge to spit at his face. He roughly let her go and got up. "Head for the docks. We'll take the yacht to Athens. In the meantime, put the prisoners down at the hold."

* * *

"Well, this is great," Riku said with a sarcastic tone, glaring at the opposite wall. The four were forced down to the living quarters, all scattered about the room.

"Would you shut up? I'm trying to work here," He shot at the silver haired man. Meanwhile, Sora had pulled his shoe laces out of his military boots and tied one end around his foot. The other end looped over his duct taped wrists and tied around his other foot. He started shifting his feet like they were on bicycle peddles.

"You shouldn't have done that, Kairi," Xion shot a glare at the red head across from her. "I wasn't afraid to die."

"I won't have your blood on my hands," Kairi shot back and then added knowingly: "Besides, I just told them what they wanted to hear."

Xion gave her a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, earning a smirk from Kairi.

"I mean, I didn't really tell them where the sword is."

"So you have a plan?" Riku asked, now relieved that Kairi had done something right since they got on this boat.

"We need to stay here in Turkey. Travel south." She explained.

"And how do you propose we escape from these guys," Xion nodded her head up towards the top deck where the three burly men would surely be.

"There's a little window at the docks when we are transported from this boat to the yacht," Sora entered the conversation as he continued to work on his bonds. "I say we take that window. Ha!" He successfully cut the duct tape using his shoelaces and leaving Kairi and Xion to stare wide eyed at him. Riku, however, smiled at his former friend.

"Leave it to Sora to find a way to escape," He said, laughing.

"Besides, I knew Kairi was lying to them as soon as she opened her mouth," Sora pointed to Kairi and she gave him a thankful smile.

"Thanks for trusting me."

"Just playing my part." He returned her smile.

Xion looked on with astonishment. She couldn't believe the exchange that she had just witnessed. The two trusted each other? Was that possible?

"Xion." She turned back to the red head and saw an urgent look. "When we do escape, you should get as far away as possible."

The diver could only smirk at her.

"You don't need to say that twice. I'm already gone."

* * *

Riku was pushed roughly by the handle of an AK47. He let out a small groan as it hit his spine. He didn't ask for this, any of it. He just wanted to stay on dry and sturdy land like he was meant to be on. The four explorers and the three tough guys were walking along the dock, with Lexaeus leading the pack along side Xion, Kairi, Sora, Riku, and finally Dreadlocks taking the rear as Eye Patch walked on the side right next to Kairi, and the yacht was looming near and he had no desire to be on the damn thing.

Sora's plan better work.

"Geez, another boat in a few days. This is clearly not my week," He groaned as he started to slow down.

"Shut up!" Dreadlocks used the butt of his gun and drove it into his side, earning a hiss from the silver haired man.

"Oh don't worry, it'll get worse," He heard Eye Patch promise and he let out a breath of air.

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but I don't do boats," He clarified but was met with an uncaring laugh.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Dreadlocks spat down at him and Riku let on a smirk of his own as he saw that they were about half way to the yacht.

"Funny. I thought I did." Riku let out a low whistle and he watched Sora break free of his bonds and slugged Eye Patch in the face. He grabbed Kairi's arm and pulled the duffel bag from Eye Patch and heard his shoulder dislocate. Soon, he was running into the town as Riku did a back kick into Dreadlocks lower abdomen and Xion swung her bound fists to the side of Lexaeus's head and ran off following Sora and Kairi.

"After them!" Dreadlocks shouted as he aimed his gun towards the direction they were running in, but found Eye Patch's hand resting on the barrel and lowered the weapon.

"No. Let 'em go," He commanded while nursing the side of his face.

"What?" Dreadlocks exclaimed in bewilderment while Lexaeus stared at Eye Patch as he recognized the knowing look.

"Xigbar, what is it you're thinking?" He asked his superior and earned a laugh from the man.

"That the Doc lied straight to our faces."

* * *

"Hurry up, Sora," The red head urged her partner. They were hiding in an alleyway and Sora was lucky enough to have found a piece of broken glass by the trash containers. He freed Xion and Riku from their duct tape bonds and was halfway done with Kairi's.

"I'm going as fast as I can," He told her in a rushed voice and finally broke the tape and she quickly took the bonds off.

"Well, this looks like a good place to part ways," Xion said as she faced the three people before her. They all knew full well that she was no longer needed and had no desire of continuing onward. She preferred her previous life of only diving and discovering what lies beneath the waves that didn't involve guns firing at her head.

"Take care of yourself," Riku said he placed a hand on her shoulder and eyes briefly meeting. Kairi then approached her and gave her a hug.

"Say hi to Ansem for me," She said to the raven haired woman as she pulled back.

"Once I get in contact with him, I will," She nodded to her red haired friend. Then her eyes fell on the brunette as a playful look appeared on her face. "Hey, Sora," She earned his questionable attention and let out a giggle. "Take care of her," She said and then ran off towards the city, disappearing into the crowd. Sora looked bewildered as he tried to make sense of what she just said.

"What was that about?" He asked and received a laugh out of the silver haired man.

"Don't worry about it. Lets just keep going."

"So where are we going, Kairi?" Sora asked their female companion as she gave them a look.

"A motel south of here. I haven't fully translated the plate."

* * *

Darkness swallowed his surroundings.

Every part of his picture had nothing.

No animal to scurry along for food or shelter, no insect to contribute to the music of the night, no wind to shift the trees in a stationary dance. The only source of light came from the half moon that was hanging above, casting shadows under his eyes and silver bangs.

The moon.

Half darkness, half light. Forever living in neutrality. Sitting in one place without a care and yet it's always changing. The light borrowed and creating its own darkness. Two halves of a same whole.

Never changing.

It fascinated him to no end.

He heard a knock on his door and told the person to come in while his back was still facing the other way.

"We've received word that the prisoners have escaped," he heard his blue haired second say as soon as he approached his superior.

"Under Xigbar's watch?" The Superior asked, his voice deep and almost questioning.

Those three have become a nuisance.

Why couldn't they stay still and receive orders like his subordinates do?

"I'm afraid so," his second responded. "But he also said that we can still follow their whereabouts."

"Follow their whereabouts, he said?" The Superior asked back.

"Yes, Master."

A smirk traced his features.

"Then proceed as planned."

"Yes, Master." He heard his second's echoing steps until a thought occurred to him.

"And Saïx," he called and heard the footsteps stop. "Be sure to have Roxas _take care_ of our guest. She is of no use to us."

"Understood."

The steps continued and a door closed somewhere.

Left in peace to stare at the moon once more.

* * *

She heard a knock on the door. None of the other members knocked, which meant it could only be one person. She was glad, she can show him more of the stationary drawings she came up with. She heard the door open as she looked up from the desk and saw her favorite blond come in.

"Roxas. You bored already?" She asked with a playful tone. It quickly faded as she noticed his slow walk to her and sad expression. She was about to ask but everything clicked in her head as soon as she saw his regretful eyes. "No," She breathed as her hand reached to her mouth.

"It's time," He said in a deadpan tone as her heart hammered against her chest.

"Roxas, you can't," She pleaded, getting up and stepping closer to him.

"Come with me." Tears threatened her eyes. He sounded so cold to her.

"This isn't fair," She said in a harsh whisper.

"I know." He turned his back and started walking out of the room, hearing footsteps behind him. She knew her role and was playing it out according to plan.

"So what's going to happen?" She asked him hesitantly as they walked through the mansion. She took note of the interior as well as the copies Da Vinci and Michelangelo hanging on the walls.

"I take you to the place where all guests are _taken care of,_" Roxas emphasized and she internally cringed.

"And you do it right then and there?" She received silence from him, but it spoke volumes.

She couldn't believe it was happening. That everything was coming to an end for her. She would never again go back home and start the projects she had in mind. She would never have lunch with Kairi and talk about the adventure the two of them had experienced. She would never fully enjoy Roxas's company. It wasn't fair. None of it was. She could easily blame it on her best friend, but she knew Kairi would never forgive her if she did. Kairi was strong. She would've stuck to her guns and never let anyone tell her otherwise. Most of all, she always kept her head held high. Nothing would stop her until she figured out the puzzle. Naminé saw that time and again and she almost envied that aspect of her.

But then she quickly realized that she needed to steel herself. If Kairi were here, she'd find a way to kick Roxas's ass and escape into the woods. But Kairi's not there and Naminé didn't know how to fight. Instead, she needed to brave. Not just for Kairi, but for everyone that's involved. Her sacrifice will not be in vain.

They stopped in a clearing in the woods. Lanterns were placed in a circle and she guessed that they were less than a mile from the mansion. Not a single soul was around and if she screamed, no one would hear her. Roxas turned back to her. The look he gave her told her that he didn't want to do this. That he grew fond of her and thought it was a sick joke that _he_ had to be the one to pull the trigger.

She took a deep breath as she faced her killer with a brave look.

"I'm ready," Her voice laced with finality. He wasn't surprised. He'd act the exact same way.

"You're real brave, Naminé. I almost envy that," He said with honesty, he pulled his gun out of his holster and pointed it her. She didn't even flinch.

"You do what you must." He smiled at her as she closed her eyes.

"I really liked you." His heart broke when he saw a stray tear cross her cheek.

He said an inaudible word and everything went black.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. I hope this chapter makes up for the two and a half month wait. Lots of exciting stuff and a CLIFFHANGER! You guys have been patient (or at least I hope you were) and you get a cliffhanger. Life sucks, huh?

Special thanks to (and from chapter 11) **Sylvia**, **tennisdesi91**, **Redeeming Endeavor**, **Don't Shoot the Puppy**, **ash-nobody**, **KaUiA**, **T3rran**, **Burai Stelar**, and **HalfHuman007** for beta-ing the chapter.

News during the break: I turned 25 in October (holy crap!), I dressed up as Elena Fisher as she appeared in Uncharted 2 for Halloween (awesome!), Thanksgiving was delicious, been working on chapters 15 and 16 (not simultaneously) as well a couple other projects, and I've been listening to classic Christmas music in the last few days. Tomorrow I'm going to go out and buy a gingerbread house kit and spend the weekend working on that. Exciting stuff!

Oh yeah, I also decided to take part in KH-Insider's Character Mural Project for the first game/final mix version. I drew Peter Pan, Jasmine, and Winnie the Pooh (Pooh bear was so much fun!) All of which you can view in my deviantart account. You can also check out the group and see everyone else's submissions. A lot of them are REALLY good! I suggest you go and check them out. Like now!

If I don't send out another update before the holidays, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Feliz Navida, Happy Hanukah, and a Happy Kwanzaa to everyone! And since I'm in Sweden right now, God Jul!

And a Happy and safe New Year!


	14. The War

−14−  
The War

"Looks like we're safe. Riku hasn't come back yet," Sora said as he re-entered their new motel room, only to see Kairi completely focused on their latest clue, the iron plate in her hands. He could see the wheels turning in her head as her eyes shifted back and forth. He never liked that face, as it told him that she was completely confused.

She jumped when he placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him as he asked, "What's up?"

She looked back down at the plate with her eyebrows furrowed.

"This is very unusual. Look." He bent over to get a closer look as she pointed with her index finger. "The letters here are random and don't say anything important." She showed him the translated letters in her notebook and he read them as 'WXYXTM MAX XRX'. He had no clue what that meant. "And it has these holes and this long hole from the center to the edge and protruding out like it's suppose to support something."

"Looks like it's about the size of that coin thing," Sora observed as she gave him a confused look.

"Coin thing?"

"Yeah. The one I was trying to steal when we first met. Remember?"

She had thought it over and couldn't believe she had nearly forgotten.

"Seems like forever now, huh?" she whispered, the realization of how long it had been came over her. A month and a half, had it really been that long? Since she received that large token from that donor, since Sora broke through the ventilation system and kidnapped her to solve the puzzle. The puzzle...

"Wait," she said suddenly as she reached into her duffel bag and extracted the coin, triangle, and column piece and laid them out before her. The pieces came together in her mind as she placed the token over the end of the column. Then, taking the right-angled iron triangle, she slipped it through the iron plate (half surprised that it was a perfect fit) with the long end facing the center, and placed it on top of the column where the token rested. She settled the completed piece down and admired it. The image it created was clear as day.

"Wow. It's a sun dial," she breathed. Sora, also astonished by the discovery, was only interested in the results.

"Great. What does that mean for us?" he asked as he watched her pick it up again.

"It could be a way in to the treasure vault. But those holes..." She stared down and accidentally shifted the plate. Her eyes widen as she discovered that she could rotate the round plate and the holes only revealing specific letters from the preexisting clue.

"What is it?" Sora asked as he look over her shoulder.

"The holes only show the letters and the iron covers up the rest."

"Meaning..."

"There's actually a hidden message within the first riddle." She reached down and took her notebook out of the bag and turned to a page that had the least amount of notes. She started rotating the plate around until a message came through and quickly translated it in her head as she wrote it down in her notebook. "And here we have it." She put the dial down and held up her notebook and read the message out loud: "_NORTH OF IOS_."

"Ios?"

"It's one of the Greek islands. That must be where the treasures are."

Sora paced back and let out frustrated breath while placing his hands on the top of his head and sliding down to cover his eyes.

"I can't believe it. The location was with us this whole time," he muttered irritably.

"Hold on, I'm going to see if there are anymore messages on here. Just in case." She started turning the wheel and couldn't find another message hidden within the riddle. She instead focused on the seemingly random letters that were imprinted to the iron. She was about to give up on it until she saw a pattern. "Huh."

"What is it?" Sora asked as he noticed her intrigue.

"Hang on..." She wrote down a couple a few letters in her notebook and was astonished by her find. "It's a cipher."

She heard Sora grunt.

"I hate puzzles."

"Looks like a Caesar cipher. It replaces each letter with another from the alphabet with a fixed number of placements to the right. It's incredibly simple."

"How long is it going to take you to figure it out?"

"Not long at all. They made it to seven placements." She wrote furiously in her notebook until she dropped her pen. "Got it," she said with triumph but that quickly changed to confusion.

"What is it?" Sora lifted an eyebrow.

"_DEFEAT THE EYE_."

He held in a grunt.

"Again with this eye deal?"

"Yeah. Only this time, it's telling us to defeat it. Maybe since we've come this far, they decided to plan ahead."

"We really gotta give those Greeks some credit." He gave her a questioning look. "But what's the eye anyway?"

"As far as I know, it's got nothing to do with the war or anything like that."

He let out a low grunt. This was all completely frustrating! Why can't these people be straight forward with their treasures? Here's a map and the 'X' marks the spot. Why go through so much to protect a dumb sword? Sure, it had a billion dollar diamond attached to it, but other than that, it's got nothing. From what Kairi told him, weapons back then were made from iron. Not strong enough but it dealt enough damage. So why? Why go to such lengths to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands?

"So what happened with the war anyway. How did an apple cause so much trouble?" he asked, hoping a change in subject to another relevant item would shed some light. Who knew better than Kairi?

"Well, when Eris threw it during the wedding, it was intended for the fairest woman in the world at that time. Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite all reached for it. Zeus decided that the judge should be the prince of Troy, Paris. Hera promised him power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world. So, for that reason, Paris chose Aphrodite. She told him that it was Helen who would later be known as Helen of Troy. She was married to Menelaus, the ruler of Lacedaemon. Paris went there and kidnapped her and brought her back to Troy where she became his wife. Menelaus wasn't happy so he gathered an army to Troy to bring her back. The only problem was that they couldn't find it. It wasn't until Telephus, who was wounded, went to Greece to get cured and, in exchange, told them where to find Troy. When they refused to give up Helen, the Greeks went to war with them.

"It went on for years and the Greeks were no closer to breaking down the walls of Troy. It wasn't until Odysseus hatched up the plan to have a large wooden horse built that they got anywhere. It was suppose to give the Trojan's luck, but they never suspected anything was inside. That night, the Greeks were let out and they killed and destroyed Troy until nothing was left. Menelaus intended to kill Helen because she went willingly along with his fortune, but he was captivated by her beauty so he let her live."

"Wow. All that over a woman. And I've seen people kill for less." Sora scratched the back of his head in a nervous gesture.

"Yeah well, a lot of wars are fought over the dumbest of reasons," she said in a near whisper.

He made an agreeing sound.

"But no where in that story talks about an eye."

"I know. I'm worried too."

"Well, no use worrying about it now." He finally looked at her and was taken aback. She had her down look again. It wasn't the one where she was angry, like when she got kidnapped, nor the one where she was scared when a member was in sight. She had this look before and last time he described it as distant. This time, she looked... sad. "What's up with you?"

"Huh?" she was startled by his question.

"That's the second time you had that look. Usually when you mention Troy."

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was being spacey," she shook her head and then added, "You have a good memory."

"I only need to remember certain things."

That sentence set her off. It was the wrong thing to say and it only lead to trouble. Everything that was built in the last month and a half crashed down. All the tension, all the anger, all the fear, everything that happened while she was around him. HIM. The reason why she was in this mess and the reason for her conflicting feelings.

And he was blatantly ignoring it.

She threw her notebook on the bed and stared angrily up at him.

"Are we seriously not going to talk about it?" she exclaimed as she stood up. He gave her a blank stare.

"Talk about what?"

"You know exactly," she hissed. He let out a knowing sigh as he uncrossed his arms.

"If you mean what's going on between you and me, then no."

She let out an un-lady like grunt.

"You are so infuriating!" she yelled. "Why don't you want to?"

"Because there's nothing to talk about."

She hated how calm he sounded. She hated that he was closed off to her again. She was sure that she reached out to him, only to have him push her away. The thought saddened her.

"Don't you even want us to work?" she asked, his look hardened and she saw him grit his teeth.

"Of course I do," he whispered.

"Then what's stopping you?" she asked daringly. His face softened.

"You know exactly why." She averted her gaze to the floor. Yeah, she knew. She doesn't want to admit it, but her heart said otherwise. She felt him approach her and placed his hands on her arms. "We can't work, Kairi. I'll always be on the run while you stay in one place."

"But what if you weren't running? What then?" she asked softly, feeling his rough hands slowly trace up her arms, leaving a trail goosebumps.

"Then we can work."

She finally looked up at him, seeing the desire in his eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. But she knew that he was right. He's a criminal and she's an archeologist. Their two worlds would never come together. It was never destined to happen.

She found herself yearning for more of him. To touch him in the places that she wanted, without fear clouding their minds. To do more in expressing how strongly she felt for him. But she would never get the chance. Not in this moment, not in moments to come.

They heard the door open and close. Sora released his grip on her and turned to watch Riku come back in. The silver haired man detected the tension once again but said nothing about it.

"Hey," he said as he broke the awkward silence. "So, have you found out anything?" he directed his question to Kairi. She put her feelings aside and answered his question. He gave a confusing shake of his head as he stared at the ground in thought. "Geez, what's up with this eye deal?"

"We don't know. There's nothing about it in the stories or anything," Kairi explained.

"Didn't I say that the eye could mean something else?" Sora asked thoughtfully. The red head gave him a raised eyebrow.

"When did you say that?"

"When you translated that Latin riddle. It mentioned something about an eye. Like not trusting it or something."

"Yeah, I remember now."

"So lets get back to that line of thinking. What's the eye and why we should be wary of it?"

"Not to mention what it has to do with the sword and why the Organization wants it so badly," Riku added.

"Right," Sora agreed and after thinking it over, he added: "Seems to me that we have to find it in order to get the answers."

"So where in Ios do we have to be?"

"I actually have a theory." The two men turned to Kairi as she took a map of the Greek islands out of her bag. "Ios also happens to be the place where Homer's tomb is and it's located north of the island."

"Homer?"

"The Greek philosopher. Literally wrote the book on Troy."

"So how are we going to get there?" Sora asked.

"The fastest way is by ferry. But that jumps from one island to another. I think the best thing to do is have Ansem provide us with a boat."

The two heard Riku groan.

"Another boat? This is _clearly_ not my week."

* * *

This was unbelievably frustrating. The three were last seen in this area but it was heavily crowded and left very little to track. So far, she was able to follow their steps from what Xigbar pointed out, and fresh tracks that was from running. But as soon as they entered the market, the path got cold.

She held in a grunt.

"So, you're sure they're here?" She should've punched Axel for saying that.

"Which one of us is the expert tracker?" Larxene snapped back.

"We both are." She shot a glare at the fiery red head. She absolutely hated how carefree he's being at the moment. Does he think this is easy? Was he not taking this seriously?

"One more than the other, and it's not you," Larxene hissed at him and she went back to her search, skimming the crowd for the familiar red haired woman. So far, there have been a lot of red heads that fit the doctor's description, but none were her. "Just be happy that the top brass appointed us to find them."

"More like you want revenge on the good doctor."

She hid a snicker.

"Nobody kicks my ass and lives to brag about it," she said in a harsh whisper. She spotted another red haired woman... but could soon see it wasn't her. "Ugh! How many red heads are in this damn city?"

Now it was Axel that held in a snicker.

"Don't worry about it so much, they'll pop out of their little rabbit hole sooner than we think."

"For your sake, you better be right."

* * *

He admired how brave she was being. Any man would quake under her hard gaze. So pretty and seemingly innocent. Roxas didn't want to pull the trigger on the beautiful blond, but what choice did he have? Sixteen cameras were littered around the clearing at every angle. They were only there so that the other members would witness the execution.

Which was something he never intended to do.

"Ventus," as soon as he said it, all the lanterns went out at once and he could hear each of the sixteen cameras malfunctioning. Soon after came footsteps, harsh whispers, and the clicks of flashlights all around them. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and he turned to his left to see his tall brown haired partner staring down at him, his flashlight flashing down at the blond.

"Good work, Detective," he heard his partner, Terra Cole, said with pride in his voice before adding, "Or should I say Special Agent?"

Roxas merely shrugged, already lowered his gun.

"Just doing my job."

"Roxas?" He had almost forgotten about Naminé, she must have been feeling panicked and confused at the moment. He grabbed Terra's flashlight and raced toward where he last saw her, lighting her. Roxas was right to think that she was scared. He gave her a reassuring smile as he placed his hand on her small shoulder.

"I told you I had a plan," he told her. "And I also told you that I wasn't planning on killing you."

She stared up at him, at first bewildered and then relieved that what he said was true. Now a new wave of confusion overflowed her, as she still had no idea what was going on.

"Are you ready, Miss Trepe?" They were startled by Terra's deep voice penetrating their silence.

"Ready for what?" she asked and she felt a squeeze on her shoulder.

"These guys are taking you back to the States. You'll be placed in a safe house until all this is over," Naminé heard Roxas's reassuring voice and she almost asked him to repeat that sentence. She was going home? Right now? The nightmare was finally over for her? Did Roxas just keep his promise? She was going home?

She couldn't contain her excitement as she jumped Roxas and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Roxas," she whispered into his ear. He was taken aback at first, but her warmth enveloped him as he returned her hug. He almost missed it when she pulled back and the two exchanged a look. This look in particular held something more. A promise that they'll see each other again.

Naminé was escorted out then and there, and would take the long trek to the car that would take her to the airport and finally leave this nightmare behind.

He felt the familiar weight on his shoulder as he looked to see Terra's teasing face.

"Can't wait to read your report when you get home." Roxas scowled at the brunette and shrugged his hand away.

"You'll get it when it's done," the blond teased back as they shared a laugh.

As Terra was leaving, a thought occurred to him.

"Roxas," he turned back as he earned his partner's attention and gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about your brother."

Roxas face darkened as his chest tightened.

"So am I."

He watched his friend turn and disappear into the bush.

He was all alone.

* * *

"What happened?" the question fell on to Roxas as soon as he reentered the mansion where he faced a blue haired man with a large X shaped scar on his face. The blond gave the man, who only known as Saïx, a questioning look, as if he didn't know what the taller man was talking about. "Our cameras broke down all of sudden when you took the girl there."

He gave an astonished look that seemed to convince the taller man.

"Really? Sorry to hear that," he said with sincerity, garnering a hard look.

"Is she still there?"

"Nope. Burned her body afterwards. There's no trace of her left there."

"And you are certain?"

"Why else would I go into detail?" the blond shot back as he made his way to the stairs and proceeded to his room.

"Don't think you can fool me, Roxas." He heard the blue haired man call up as he rolled his eyes.

"Who's fooling whom?" he said under his breath.

* * *

**Game time!** I made a reference to the games in this chapter. Can you find it? You get a cookie and the internet if you do. XD

_Special Thanks_: **The Sacred Rigel**, **Sylvia**, **Redeeming Endeavor**, **Burai Stelar**, **tennisdesi91** and **Halfhuman007** for beta-ing the chapter. And everyone else that took the time to add and favorite the story to your lists.

A/N: Well, that was an exciting chapter, huh? Getting to learn a bit more and making progression with the search. And a lesson in Greek mythology! Yay!

I don't have it in me to kill off Naminé. How could I? I like RokuNami too much to even consider it. XP HOWEVER, the next chapter is going to be... interesting. I think. I'll leave that up to you.

Other news: I moved in to my new apartment and it's right in the middle of downtown so I'll be experiencing the city life for the time being. XD Also... I just finished drafting my next story! Oh my god, so much is happening in that and I can't wait for you guys to read it once I'm done with this story. I think you guys will like it (or hate it. I won't hold it against you.)

So, all that said, thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!


	15. The Kill

**A/N: **Reader discretion is advised.

* * *

−15−  
The Kill

_ "I'll shoot! I swear it!" The lanky man cocked his shotgun and aimed it right a parked police car, shattering one of the windows. The glass fell onto broad shoulders and littered his brown hair. His blue eyes briefly scanned over the shattered window to see if this crazy man had killed anyone. Lucky for him, no one was harmed. Terra let out an irritated sigh as the situation grew more dire._

_ Another shot went off as he heard screams from the surrounding area. His patients started to grow thin._

_ "This guy is out of his mind," the brunette muttered as he felt a presence join beside him. He turned to see his blonde partner with his gun already drawn out. "Roxas, glad you showed up."_

_ The blonde nodded to him as he jerked his head to the crazy man with the shot gun._

_ "So, what's the story on this guy?" Roxas asked._

_ "Got laid off and his wife left him. And with this economy, I'd hate to think what he's gonna do with that."_

_ "Get back!" Another shot went off and more screams ensued._

_ "So, you got a plan?" Terra asked and was puzzled when his partner handed him his gun._

_ "Yeah. I'm going in," the blonde told him as the elder stared at him as if he were crazier than that man._

_ "What?" he asked, hoping to hear something different from his partner._

_ "If anything happens, tell my grandma I won't be home for Thanksgiving."_

_ Terra took hold of the blonde's gun and gave him an incredulous look._

_ "If you're going in, you're clearly more insane than that guy," he told his partner what could possibly be the last time._

_ "If I don't, he might kill someone," Roxas told him in a serious tone as he stood up and started his march toward the man. "Hey!" He exclaimed as he earned the man's attention._

_ "Get back!" He shouted as he pointed his gun at the blonde. Roxas gave him an easy smile as he raised his hands to his shoulder's height._

_"It's okay. I'm not gonna do anything. I don't even have a gun."_

_ "You're lying!"_

_ "No really." He turned around with his hands still raised to show that he had no weapon on him. "See? No gun."_

_ "Then why are you wearing a vest?"_

_ "It's for my protection. Just in case something goes wrong." He added with a smirk. "But if you feel like it, shoot my head off."_

_ The brunette stared wide eyed from his place behind the car._

_ "What the hell are you doing, Roxas?" He exclaimed as the lanky man was taken aback._

_ "What?"_

_ "Yeah. I've got nothing to live for either. My brother vanished not too long ago. He could be dead for all I know."_

_ The man let out a laugh._

_ "Nice try, but that's not going to stop me!"_

_ "It's the truth. The last time I saw my brother was in my apartment. We had a really bad argument. Then he just up and vanished."_

_ "If that were true, then why aren't you searching for him?"_

_ "I am." The man was surprised by that statement. "All the leads I've got were dead ends. I've recently received one that he might be in the Middle East."_

_ He wasn't lying all right. The pain of his brother's disappearance clearly affected him and what's worse, they got into an argument before he vanished. His last words to his brother would be ones with rage._

_ "Are you gonna go?" The man asked, genuinely curious about this cop._

_ "Maybe, when I have some vacation time."_

_ "What's his name?"_

_ "His name's Ventus. He's also my identical twin."_

_ The man grunted._

_ "Now I know you're lying."_

_ "It's the truth." Roxas reached behind him and the man set his gun on him again. "Relax, I'm just going for my wallet." He took his hand out of his pocket. "See?" The man's face relaxed a bit as he watched the blonde cop open his wallet and took cautious steps towards him. "Look at this." Roxas held his wallet up and the man saw a picture of two little boys that looked the same in every way. From what he could tell, it was Christmas time and the boys were opening their presents at the foot of the Christmas tree. "He's also the only family I have. Dad died in a car accident, mom to cancer."_

_ The man truly felt sorry for him. No person should go through what this cop has._

_ "I'm sorry."_

_ "So am I." The man gave him a strange look._

_ "What?" Before he knew it, he felt a fist connect to his face as he staggered back and blacked out._

_ "No hard feelings," Roxas said as he shook off the pain in his fist._

_ The second the man fell, more of his fellow cops came on to the scene and apprehended the man. Roxas did feel bad for him, he didn't ask for anything that had recently happened to him. He also felt bad that he sympathized with him. He wasn't lying about his brother, but he wished that things could've gone another way._

_ He felt a strong hand land on his shoulder as he looked up to his tall partner._

_ "Good work, Roxas," The look on his face told the blonde that what he did was stupid, but affective. Roxas merely shrugged._

_ "Just doing my job."_

* * *

_ "Yes!"_

_ Roxas jumped and no doubt everyone in the station did as well as he watched his partner practically jumping out of his seat._

_ "What's up?" he asked, curious if Terra was going to start dancing on his desk and kiss his computer. He gave the blonde an excited look._

_ "Just scored two tickets to the Lakers game."_

_ Roxas stared dumbfounded._

_ "Dude," he said, expectantly. Terra gave him a smug look."You owe me for that favor."_

_ Terra laughed at his friend's expression._

_ "Relax. I was going to bring you anyway."_

_ Roxas inwardly jumped._

_ "Detective Almesy." The blonde turned to see his fellow cop staring down at him. "Someone's here to see you."_

_ "What?" Roxas furrowed his eyebrows._

_ "Yeah, some ol' timer. Says that he has something for you."_

_ The blonde shrugged._

_ "All right. I'll see him."_

_ What harm could he be?_

_ The cop stepped aside and an old man stood in his place. Long blonde hair went past his shoulders and a beard covered his chin and upper lip. Wrinkles came out of the corners of his orange eyes. Dressed in a white suit and had the appearance of a wise old man._

_ "Detective Almesy, I assume," he heard the man's British tone._

_ "That's me," he said as he got up to shake the man's hand. "Detective Roxas Almesy."_

_ "Ansem Farron. Director of Interpol." Both of his eyebrows lifted._

_ "Interpol? What brings you here?"_

_ He gave the young blonde a serious look._

_ "I prefer I speak with you in private." Catching the drift, Roxas turned to his partner and just as he thought, he was as skeptical as Roxas was._

_ "Terra. The interrogation room open?"_

_ "Just freed up actually."_

_ Roxas turned back to the Director and asked for him follow the young blonde to the room._

* * *

_ "So, what's this Organization about? Do they mass-produce something or...?"_

_ "They are a group of mercenaries, terrorists, and assassins."_

_ "And there are twelve of them?"_

_ "Precisely." The young blonde couldn't help to contain his laughter any longer. From Ansem's seat, he gave the young man a strange look. "Is there something amusing?"_

_ He managed to subside his laugh long enough to give the Director an 'I'm not an idiot' look._

_ "I'm sorry, it's just that you're asking me, one person, to go in a lion's den."_

_ "But you won't be alone."_

_ He quirked an eyebrow._

_ "Really?"_

_ "Yes." The man stood up with his hands placed firmly behind his back as he walked up to Roxas. "Interpol, FBI, CIA, MI-6, Mossad, even this police station, are trying to find links to crimes that have been covered up over the years."_

_ "So, what're you saying? That this Organization even has links here in L.A.?"_

_ "They have connections all over." He looked away from the young man to look in his reflection in the two-way mirror that took up the upper half of the wall. "As of now, their leader is searching for a rare artifact. One that would change the fates of everyone."_

_ "That so?" Roxas asked as he uncrossed his arms to put one hand in his pocket. "So is he one of those 'world domination' types?"_

_ "May as well be."_

_ The older blonde made a grave face, one that told Roxas not to push too far._

_ "Well, no offense, but I'm not an agent. Let the station's agent take care of them."_

_ "This concerns everyone as well as you," Ansem shot back at him as he glared at him. "I'm giving you an opportunity to become an agent for this station and handing you cases you can only dream of. Bringing justice at a global scale."_

_ Roxas was clearly not interested. He was already happy with his current position, why would he need this opportunity? The elder man must've seen this._

_ "I understand that you are missing a family member," he suddenly said as Roxas stared startled at him._

_ "How did you-"_

_ "I am a very well off man, I could hire the top most private inspectors to search for anyone."_

_ The young blonde man started to grow irritated._

_ "So have them spy on your Organization." He almost walked out the door as he felt a hand on his shoulder._

_ "I saw how you handled that man." His irritation only grew more._

_ "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_ "I saw how you eased his pain by sharing yours." He averted his eyes to the ground. "I am truly sorry with what has happened to your brother, but if it means anything, I can help."_

_ "Those world class private detectives you mentioned?" Roxas asked bitterly as he shrugged off the man's hand. "Thanks, but I don't need it."_

_ "You were close, were you not?"_

_"We're brothers. Of course we're close."_

_ "And what if these people have clues to the location to your brother?" That got Roxas's attention._

_"You saying that they do?"_

_ "I am merely saying 'what if?'" He did have a point, but there was a slim chance of that the old man could be wrong. But he could be right too. And who knows? Maybe this 'Organization' did have a clue on where his brother might be._

_ He watched the man reach into his pocket and placed a card on the table."My card. If you change your mind."_

* * *

"Hey!"

Roxas was brought out of his thoughts by a flaming red head, realizing that he never left the mansion's conference room after the meeting about Roxas's job. He rubbed his eyes as the events of the last few days replayed in his head. Ever since he let Naminé go, he became distant. He tried to avoid the other members as much as possible and it didn't go unnoticed. The other members must have noticed how close he was to the blonde woman. He didn't think he'd be that close to her either. In the beginning, when he heard that a friend of Dr. Farron had been taken to the mansion, he thought about why. What purpose was there to kidnap an innocent woman? She provided no real role in the Doctor's cooperation.

However, as soon as he started talking to her, he found that she was very nice and polite. Sure she was on the shy side, but only when he was around her did she show her true self. She was confident and the experience she gained in the mansion made her a strong person. He wasn't lying when he said he envied her, he honestly wished he had that strength.

"Heard you took care of things while I was gone. Nice work!" He turned in his seat to look at the flaming red head staring proudly down at him.

"Thanks," Roxas muttered as he heard a chair being pulled up next to him.

"What's up with you? Are you always this mopey after a kill?"

He held in a grunt.

"It's nothing."

Axel stared at him for a moment until a teasing grin graced his face.

"I see. You got too close to her." Roxas didn't bother looking at him, but his silence was enough of an answer for the flaming red head. "You shouldn't have done that, now you'll be nothing but a whiner and we have to pick up your little pieces." Roxas held in a snappy remark as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. "Hey, if anything, she probably wasn't worth it in the sack." The flaming red head stumbled out of his chair as his left cheekbone throbbed in pain. He glared at Roxas as he watched the blonde drew his fist back as if ready to him again. "Shit! What was that for?"

"She wasn't some piece of meat!" Roxas yelled, showing that he's every bit angry at Axel.

The flaming red head gave him a chaste laugh.

"Well, let me remind you that you're not a cop anymore. So you can cut the chivalry crap," he countered as he walked off. He stopped, however, to say one last thing to him before he left. "Don't forget who you're really working for."

He continued to glare down at the floor as he heard the door close. He was all alone once again in the large room, though Axel's presence never really left.

He knew who he worked for, and shit was going to hit the fan soon.

* * *

_Thanks Ansem, _Kairi typed before she shut down the computer and left the internet café. She had another chat with her grandfather regarding their progress as well as travel plans. The three adults needed to get to Ios soon and they didn't have any other means to travel (Riku refused to go on another boat.) Ansem told her that he'll try to find something but nothing was guaranteed. She thanked him regardless.

She left the café to go rejoin the brunette and the silver haired man that waited patiently for her to come back with news of how they were going to leave. She managed to convince Sora that it would be best that she went alone as to not attract any attention, especially with the possibility that a member could be tailing them. It was easiest for her to blend into the crowd as Sora's unnaturally spiky hair would stand out too much and Riku's silver hair can catch the sun's light.

"Well, if it isn't the good doctor." A chill went down her spine. This wasn't suppose to happen, and yet she wasn't entirely surprised. She steeled herself as she turned to meet the blonde vixen with the poison green eyes. "I knew I'd find you here sooner of later," Larxene snarled with a smirk with her hands on her hips.

"How did you find me?" Kairi demanded as she sent a distasteful glare.

"Please, like it's any difficult tracking _you_ down."

The red head clenched her fists.

"We're not fighting here."

"I'm not stupid," the blonde 'tsch'ed before she gave a wicked grin. "I'm just letting you know that I know where you're hiding and if you're as smart as you appear, you shouldn't go back to your motel room." The red head's eyes widen as she watched Larxene turn around and started walking away. As soon as she was out of sight, Kairi turned back and started running back to the motel.

* * *

"What?" Sora exclaimed as Kairi packed up everything she had in the room.

"We have to go, now!" Sora was still flabbergasted, but his agile mind worked at lightning speed as he gathered his belongings and stuffed them into the duffel bag.

"So what, we're going to Bodrum ahead of schedule?"

"That's the idea."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

They both stopped in their doings and turned to face door.

"Guess who's here?" The second they heard the flaming red head's voice, they stepped up to overdrive.

"Shit," Kairi muttered as she zipped the duffel bag shut.

Sora opened the window and watched Kairi jump out with him not too far behind and went to tap Riku's room window.

* * *

"We should split up, so they won't get us all at once," Kairi suggested as the three stood in the middle of the square. The two men looked frantically around them to make sure that they weren't followed.

"Fine by me," Riku responded.

"No. We should stick together," Sora interjected before he sent a glare to the silver haired man. "Besides, Riku still has some things to explain."

"And he can explain everything once we get there," Kairi tried to convince the brunette as she pointed out on a map that she took from a souvenir stand.

"I'll go this way," Riku pointed to one direction behind him.

"And I'll go this way," the red head pointed to her left.

"No." The two stared at the brunette. "I just think it's a bad idea to separate," he directed his statement more towards Kairi.

"You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can but-"

"Trust me." She gave him a look that told him that she was determined and independent. Telling him that he should put more trust into her and leave her to handle things.

It was enough to convince him.

"If you don't show up, I'm coming for you," he pointed to her as she nodded in understanding.

"Right."

* * *

Kairi had been lucky so far. She didn't get the sense that she was followed and she was thankful. To be perfectly honest, she was scared shitless. It wasn't because she was away from Sora, it was that someone could be following her and she wouldn't know it. Especially since the flaming red haired man was the one that knocked on their door. His fixation on Kairi was something she would call possessive. The stare that he gave her when they first met sent frightening chills down her spine and the look in his eyes told her that he wanted more and he wouldn't hesitate to get it.

That part frightened her the most.

"Did you miss me?" She jumped at the voice and turned to see it was the flaming red head, Axel. That's just great, think of the devil and there he is. The first logical thing that crossed her mind was to get as far away from him as possible. And that was exactly what she did, turned tail and ran. Which earned a laugh from the man. "That's all right, I love a chase."

She moved through the crowds and tried her best not to fall down. At this rate, Axel would catch up to her in no time. She had no choice but to cut through an alley.

That proved to be her biggest mistake.

He followed her into the alley and managed to catch up to her quickly. He must've been on the track team in high school if he were to catch up to her that fast. He grabbed her arm first and she tried to fight back. She threw a punch but he easily caught it in his fist. The look he gave sent a terrifying chill down her spine.

"Now, you're all mine," he whispered in her ear as her eyes widened in fear. She tried to struggle out of his grip and created an imbalance between the two as they fell to the ground with Axel on top.

This was bad. This was very bad. Kairi had no escape. No one to rescue her. She was trapped.

She struggled against him while his hands and lips were all over her, hoping to get him off her herself. However, her hope started to dwindle when she heard a zipper go down. Her panic increased as she still tried to push him off, until she felt his gun holster tucked in his jacket. She struggled to find it until her hand grazed the cold metal. She stumbled the holster clip and slipped the gun out.

BANG!

* * *

"Would you relax? I'm sure she's fine," Riku said as he watched his former pace back and forth in the room. Impatience traced his features as he looked at the motel room's clock every five seconds.

He had enough.

"I'm going to look for her," the brunette stated as he started his march towards the door, only to find it opening already, his red head coming in slowly. The first thing he noticed was the blank stare she had and the blood on her shirt. "Kairi?" concern laced his features as he reached his hand out to gently grab her arm only for her to back away. His concern for her only rose. "You okay?" he dared to ask, her gaze still averted to the ground.

"I'm going to go check some things out," Riku said as he stepped out through the door. Sora sent him a grateful look before he left, the other giving the brunette a firm nod before closing the door.

Sora's gaze went back to Kairi and his chest clenched at the sight of her. This wasn't his stubborn as all hell red head, this one was blank and covered in blood. He did a quick examination and was relieved to find that she had no bullet holes.

"C'mon," he said as he gently took her hand and guided her to the bed and she sat down without saying a word. He pulled the desk chair out and set in front of her as he sat down, staring at her while silently encouraging her to speak. "What happened?" he pried only to receive her silence. He grabbed her hands and got her to look at him. He told her again to tell him what had happened, she had a bit of difficulty to open her mouth and only tiny sounds came out.

When she finally found her voice, she told him what had happened. Her confrontation with Axel and what he tried to do in the alley. Her throat tightened again when she told him she found his gun and...

Sora let out a low growl. He knew it was a bad idea to split up, he knew of Axel's carnal tastes, he knew that he would only go after Kairi, and yet, he let it happen. Disgust rose in his throat as he clenched his fist. He was so angry, with himself, with Axel, and even with Kairi! It was her idea to split up and look what happened.

"That bastard," he mumbled in anger and then a new thought dawned on that put him at ease. "At least he's dead now," he added, relieved that the fiery red head can no longer cause harm to her.

He looked up at her expecting her to think the same way, but she still had that blank stare. His concern for her replaced his bubbling anger as he took hold of her hands and tried to get her to look at him. "Kairi?"

"I- I- I killed him..." she finally said, finally coming to terms to what she did. He gave her a sympathetic look.

"Kairi-"

"I killed someone!" she exclaimed and he was quick to put his hands on both sides of her neck as the tears finally spilled.

"Shh... You don't want to shout that," he whispered to her as he watched her cry. His chest ached at the sight of her. She wasn't meant to take someone's life and yet she managed to pull the trigger. "Kairi, let me give you some advice," he spoke as she look up at him, hoping to ease the pain and guilt of what she had done. "Don't think of it as just killing someone, think of it as killing for survival. He could've done a lot worse to you than what you did to him."

She thought about it, and he was right. There had been many times during school career that she had been warned of these dangers, but never in a millions years did she think she would be a target of such a heinous act. She had to do something! She had to pull the trigger before Axel had done something that would have left her even more shaken than when she killed him. However...

"Feel better?" Sora asked.

"A little..." she replied truthfully, her state of mind was starting to return.

"Just remember what kind of person he was. Did he deserve to die?"

"I suppose..."

"Kairi," he gave her a firm look as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not use to this. Taking someone's life."

"If anything, he was nowhere near close to being innocent. Remember that."

She nodded as they heard knocking on the door and Riku's voice calling in. Sora yelled for him to come in and he did so, giving Kairi a solemn look.

"Hey, everything all right?" the silver haired man asked.

"There's one less Organization member to worry about," Sora replied.

"Which one?"

"Axel..." Kairi trailed, her voice still a little shaky but stronger than before.

"The less of them, the better off we are."

"Right," Sora agreed.

"So, we're going on schedule?"

The two men stared at the red head.

"Kairi?" Sora asked with uncertainty.

She gave a firm nod.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

"What?" The blue haired man shouted in the filled conference room. Every member was present and all of them were equally shocked by the blonde vixen's report.

"I found his body not too far from the target's motel," Larxene explained, earning a whistle from the laid back blonde.

"Woah, heavy stuff," Demyx said.

"Indeed," Luxord agreed.

"He was an imbecile anyway," Vexen grunted, his arm in a sling.

"I'll say, his pants were down," the blonde vixen relayed.

"I think we're better off not knowing that detail," a purple haired young man muttered to no one in particular.

"Not necessarily," every person in the room turned to the man with the eye patch. "If his pants were down, that means he had the good doctor. We now know which direction they were heading."

The other members made agreeing sounds.

"What are your thoughts, Master?" Every head turned to the head chair as Saïx asked the question the tall, foreboding, silver haired man. The entire time he was sitting there with his eyes closed and his hands folded up to his chin, as if deep in thought and plotting out their next move.

"Follow them," His deep tenor voice boomed and every person nearly shook from the low tremor. "They'll lead us to the treasure sooner or later."

"We only had two expert trackers, and one of them is dead," the man with the dreadlocks, Xaldin, inquired. The Master's eyes shot open and landed on the only blonde that hasn't said a word throughout the entire conference.

"Roxas," his voice startled the young blonde as he looked to the menacing man.

"Yes?" the blonde's voice was raw and his mood wasn't bright either.

"Go along with Larxene. The both of you will report when there's change."

"You mean I have babysit the rookie?" the vixen whined while she stared wide-eyed.

"The Superior has spoken," Saïx spoke down at her.

"Whatever," she 'tch'ed as she glared at the blue haired man.

"Roxas?" Xemnas's booming voice echoed to the young blonde.

The California kid knew what the man was asking as he nodded.

"Yeah. I can do that," he responded.

"Then it's settled."

"Dismissed," Saïx announced as all the members got up and started filing out the door.

"Good luck with her, man," Roxas felt a hand on his shoulder as he turned to see Demyx giving him an amused smile.

"Thanks," he responded, truly thinking that he'll need it.

As the members disappeared one by one out the door, Roxas felt a new hand on his shoulder.

"Roxas, a word." He held in an eye roll as he turned to see the scared blue haired man and that Xemnas hasn't left the room either. By the stern look in Saïx's face, he could almost guess what this might be about. "There was no evidence of a fire in the clearing."

"I cleaned it up. So what?" Roxas shrugged, sounding as nonchalant as possible. He earned a glare from the man.

"You never said that you cleaned afterwards."

"Thought it was self explanatory." Roxas took note of the man's suspicious glare.

"Detectives do not make that mistake," Saïx stated while Roxas shrugged again.

"Sorry. Won't happen again," With that, the blond left the room, resisting all temptation to gag. He didn't like staying in the mansion anymore since the suspicion circled around him.

The end was approaching, he could feel it.

* * *

**A/N: **Has your heart slowed down yet? Have the tears subsided? If not, too bad! Lol. Now if you'll excuse me, the rabid Axel fans are knocking at my door and they've got the torches, pitchforks, and AK-47s.

_Special thanks: _**tennisdesi91, nin4, Redeeming Endeavor, GreyPurpleBlack, **and **Halfhuman007** for beta-ing the chapter. As well as everyone else that took the time to read this story and adding it their watch/fav lists.

**Other news: **Not much is going on, except _maybe_ Chapter 17 might be a little late. I took a month off to focus on other things (I got back into writing it in case you're wondering) and playing through Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood (not planning on playing Revelations based on what I've seen on YouTube) and fan-gasming over Assassin's Creed III! How friggin' awesome does that game look (so far)! And the American Revolution? Awesome!

So, yeah, we're approaching the end here and it feels a little surreal. I'm almost done with this story after about two years of making it. So all of my hard work is about to be paid off and I'm really looking to getting it up.

That said, see you at the next chapter!

And don't forget to leave a review. :D


	16. The Blame

−16−  
The Blame

_ It's beginning to be too much_, he thought. It was two in the morning and the silver haired man was wide awake.

It had only been a couple days but he could feel everything was starting to pile on all at once. The three had moved to another motel and paranoia laced through their veins. Sora had been busy with Kairi's psychology, comforting her when she needed it. Riku, on the other hand, tried to stay out of it. Kairi needed Sora at the moment and he didn't see the need to interrupt their time together.

Unless one or both of them come up to him and ask for an opinion or have new information to tell. These days, it's been more of the latter than the former.

His thoughts were interrupted with the sound of knocking on his door. His own paranoia jumped first in his mind as he got his gun out and walked slowly towards the door.

"Yeah?" he yelled, trigger finger ready.

"Open up." He let out a breath he didn't know he held as he holstered his gun and opened the door to see the brunette standing there with an irritated look.

"Don't tell me, they found us again," Riku guessed. Why else would Sora show up at his door at this un-Godly hour?

"We've been lucky so far," Sora replied as he pushed past the silver haired man and into his room.

"When have we ever been lucky?" Riku joked, recalling a memory or two. Sora, however, was not amused. "So, what is it?" he asked.

"You still have a lot of explaining to do," the brunette stated.

"Like what?" Riku asked as the sounds of knocking on the door echoed through the room. The silver haired man went to the door and opened it a crack to see their red haired companion. "Kairi?"

"Can I come in?" he heard her silently ask.

"Sora's in here too," he told her and she looked as if she was well aware. He nodded for her to come in and she did just that, closing the door behind her.

"You okay?" Sora asked her as soon as she came in, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Sorry, I just didn't feel safe."

The brunette shook his head as he gave a reassuring smile.

"That's totally normal. Right, Riku?"

"Sure. Sora wept for a whole month after his first kill."

"I did not!" the brunette exclaimed offensively.

"Yeah. It was more like a week, but it felt like a month."

"Like _you _were any better."

Suddenly, the men heard the soft ringings of a woman's laughter. They turned to the red haired woman to see her finally cracking a smile.

"Thanks guys," she said softly.

"Anyhow," Sora added in, now facing the silver haired man. "You still have a lot to explain, Riku."

Riku grunted in submission.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Start with the Organization. Who are they and how does Ansem know about them."

"You want each individual? 'Cause I can only give you the top seven."

"Start from there."

"I'll start with Saïx..." For the next half hour, Riku went on to describe the top seven of the Organization. What their roles were and what they did before they joined. Just by their descriptions, it was clear that these men were dangerous and should never be crossed. The three had been lucky when they come across these guys, even with the ones that weren't mentioned gave more of an image than Riku's descriptions. "... And Xemnas is their leader."

The couple gave thoughtful looks. Kairi had already sat down on the bed with Sora still standing.

"Xemnas... That sounds familiar," the red head thoughtfully said.

"Yeah. Not as big as Xehanort, but he's getting there."

"How do these guys get away for so long?"

"That much money in their pockets, they can get away with anything," Sora added in.

"And they only seek out the best. That's why they hired you, Sora."

The brunette only shrugged. He knew he was the best, even if the bad guys say so.

"So how does Ansem know of them?" Kairi asked, quirking an eyebrow when the silver haired man's posture became stiff. "Riku?"

"You're not gonna like it," he answered.

"Riku," Sora said in a firm tone, indicating that enough was enough. Riku let out a sigh of resignation as he gave the two a look.

"He's the one that formed the Organization."

A stunned silence followed. Neither of the two knew what to say or how to process this new information. Sora knew not to trust the old man from the very beginning; what with hiring Riku to keep track of them and how he was involved with the Organization. However, Ansem had proved time and again that he was trustworthy. Providing their transportation and reminding them of what was at stake. Hell, he probably had that particular lion statue just so Xemnas wouldn't get to it and find it's hidden secret.

Kairi, however, was shocked beyond belief. Her grandfather... How could he... Why would he...

"No. That can't be!" she exclaimed, sending a glare up at the silver haired man.

"Just hear me out," Riku said in a calming voice. "His original intentions for the Organization was for charities, fundraisers, and stuff like that. But it hit south as soon as Xemnas joined."

"Okay, that sounds like him," Kairi added as she calmed down.

"Ansem was forced out of the group," Riku continued. "But he still followed their whereabouts."

"How?"

"Not sure. He never told me." The room fell into silence again. The two almost expecting for the silver haired man to continue, but only gave a look of finality. "That's all I know."

"Thank you, Riku," Kairi nodded.

"Anytime," Riku smiled as he shot a glance to the brunette, noticing the concentrated look he had and his smile immediately went away. "Oh no."

"What?" Kairi asked as she followed Riku's line of sight.

"He's got that look again."

"Sora?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

"You know what still stinks?" Sora asked as he looked to meet Riku's stare. "What do they want with the sword?"

"Isn't it for the jewel?" The red head asked in bewilderment.

"No. Sora's right."

"About what?"

"They have all the money in the world, why would they need this?" The question dawned over them like the rising sun. They had been so caught up in finding the sword that they never questioned on why the Organization needed it. What purpose would it serve them? "How does the legend go again, Kairi?"

"That whoever wields it is guaranteed a victory in battle."

"And with something like that, I'd hate to know what they'd do with it."

"And Xemnas is the 'world domination' type," Riku added in.

"We can't let him have it. No matter his plans."

"So, what do we do? I mean if we get the sword before he does."

"The only thing we can do."

Sora turned to the red head, hoping that her archaeological sense wouldn't cloud her judgment, but that thought was quickly wiped away as he watched resolve cross her features and said in an infinitive tone: "Destroy it."

* * *

"Where is she?" the blond haired nymph hissed, her binoculars practically imbedding themselves to her eye sockets.

"You still looking out for her?" her other blond companion asked.

"What do you think?" she said with venom.

Roxas sighed.

The two were staking out over a five story building of an internet café. His arms crossed as he watched Larxene practically hanging off the edge.

Honestly, how did he get paired up with a woman like her? What was Xemnas thinking? Then again, based on his evaluation, Xemnas, or 'The Superior' as he's often called, was too full of himself and thinks the world should work under his view. He's a dangerous man with a lot of money to spare.

And then there's Larxene. One thing she had in common with Xemnas was an unstable mind. She was obsessed. Plain and simple as that. She didn't know how to let go of things and that tends to drag her behind. Keep her attention away from the mission at hand.

"Axel did say that you have a huge grudge," Roxas told her as he heard her 'tch'.

"You don't seem torn up."

The blond male lifted an eyebrow.

"Why should I?"

"Because he interacted with you the most."

"That so?" he asked, not particularly interested.

"Yup. Before you joined, he mostly kept to himself and lit up every now and then."

"Sounds like you care," he smirked.

"You know I don't," she shot back. "Mercenaries are extremely observant. Not my fault that I saw a thing or two."

He held in a laugh, mostly so she wouldn't hear him and slit his throat.

"If you say so," he sniggered instead.

"So, how did a cop like you get into this game anyhow?"

He was taken aback by the question. Mainly of how sudden it was and how she just said that she didn't care. She probably asked because she wants a conversation. That's something to add to his report.

"Like I told Saïx, I got tired of catching the bad guys without high regards," he explained as she made the 'tch' noise yet again.

"Why do I find _that _hard to believe?"

"Because you're easy?" he muttered and it appeared it went unheard.

"Hah! There she is," she exclaimed as he peered over the edge as well and saw the red haired doctor along with the brown haired mercenary.

As he was looking at the two, he found them... strange. Doctor Farron didn't appear to be trying to get away like she was suppose to and Sora looked like he wasn't trying to keep her under his captivity. It had been more than a month since the last time he saw the two. The worst thing must've happened, they've gotten close. That made his job a whole lot harder. When this adventure was over, the two would have to separate. Her going back to her civilian life and see a psychiatrist to make sure she wasn't suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. While the brunette will be taken under custody to await his trail.

Life wasn't fair, but that's the way things work.

"I'm going." He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw the blond vixen took out one of her knives. He didn't like the look she had in her eye and he realized that he had to do something.

"Aren't we suppose to lay low until they actually do something," he said with a level voice.

"This is personal," she hissed back as she threw her dagger down at an alarming speed.

Sora and Kairi were walking towards the nearest internet café. They needed to contact Ansem about getting a ride to Ios. The sooner, the better as Sora had said and the red head couldn't agree more.

That is, until a kunai came sailing down and dug itself into the ground before their feet. Kairi shrieked while Sora quickly grabbed her hand and kept her away from the knife. He looked up to where it came from and saw the crazy blond haired woman waving politely down at them.

"No," he growled as he glared up at Larxene.

"How do they keep finding us?" Kairi asked in disbelief.

"Larxene's an expert tracker. If she wants to find someone, you'd better hope it isn't you," Sora replied as he picked the kunai and examined it. "Lets just go and see what she wants."

Kairi nodded as he led her through the café and up the back way stairs. They've been shouted at by employees but they didn't give a damn. They went through the door that led to the roof and saw the blond vixen staring dangerously at them.

"I see you got my message," she pointed to the kunai in Sora's hand and then directed her eyes to the red head. "And it looks like the two of you have something in common now. You're natural born killers. So how does it feel like to be a criminal, princess?"

Kairi nearly lunged at the blond woman but Sora held her back.

"What do you want, Larxene?" the brunette asked.

"Oh Sora, you, of all people should know what I want," Larxene replied with a smile playing on her lips.

"Do you always have to be such a bitch?" Sora sighed as he shook his head. "Well, you know what-"

"Sora." He stopped as he felt Kairi's hand on his arm. He watched her take a step forward and giving the blond vixen a hard glare. "You want a rematch, Larxene?"

"Why else would I be in dump like this?" she shot back as she got into her fighting stance.

"Cut it out, Larxene." They were startled by the new voice that broke in to the conversation. The couple turned to the source to see the blond haired man step out from his hiding spot behind a ventilation system. Giving the blond woman an annoyed look.

Sora's eyes narrowed as he recognized the man.

"You," he breathed.

"I see you've met our newest member. Also a natural born killer as it were," Larxene pointed out.

"Isn't everyone in the Organization natural killers?" the brunette shot back, earning a laugh from the vixen.

"Sure, but Roxas here has done one better." Sora and Kairi looked on in confusion. "You mean that blabber mouth Axel didn't tell you?" Larxene smirked. "Can't say I'm surprised, seeing as he was _all about suspense_."

"Larxene..." Roxas said in a warning tone.

"Hey, princess. You know that friend of your's?" Kairi raised an eyebrow. "The blond one that looked too innocent for her own good?"

"Naminé?" she guessed, hoping that what the blond woman wouldn't say...

"Yeah, her. She was under our hospitality for a little while," Larxene continued, earning a gasp from the red head. "The deal was that if you stepped out of bounds... I think you get the idea." Kairi felt horrified. This couldn't be true. She was lying, she had to be. There was just no way Naminé is- "How'd you do it again, Roxas? Through the heart? Or execution style."

"Larxene," He gave her another warning tone.

"You don't mean..." the red head trailed, completely horrified.

"Bingo," Larxene sang. "Roxas here done her in."

"You bastard!" Kairi nearly ran forward towards the blond male, but Sora grabbed her around her waist and held her back.

"Calm down," he whispered in her ear as she struggled against his hold. "Nice try. We're not buying it!" he shouted at Larxene only to see her smirk.

"Oh, but it's true. Right, Roxas?"

_Oh boy_, the blond had thought. This was going to be tough. He wanted to reassure the doctor that her blond friend is okay and is back home now, but at the same time, Larxene was there and he didn't want to break his cover. Then again, Larxene was already questioning his loyalties so it would be pointless to keep the act going. What was he going to do?

He let out a sigh. It wasn't an easy choice, but he figured it's best to clear the air.

"It's like this-"

"Let me go!" Kairi shouted, the rage in her eyes was enough to quake the bravest of men. Even Roxas felt intimidated by them.

"Kairi-" Sora tried but she kept on struggling against his hold.

"No! He killed her! He killed Naminé!"

Larxene sniggered.

"Don't worry, you'll have your swing at him. But first, you'll have to deal with me." The blond vixen got back in to her fighting stance and waited patiently for the red head.

"Let go of me, Sora," the doctor dangerously hissed.

"No way," he hissed back. Letting out a sigh, he whispered in her ear: "I'm sorry, Kairi."

"For what?" She got her answer as Sora pinched the side of her neck and her eyes drifted to close against her will and her whole body fell unconsciously into his arms.

"Wow! I didn't think you'd do that. I dodged a bullet then," Larxene laughed.

"The next time we meet, I won't hold her back," Sora warned as he picked up Kairi and slung her over his shoulder.

"What? You mean I have to wait?" The door closed behind the brunette as Larxene puffed. "I _really _hate to be teased."

Roxas held in a groan.

He really didn't like this outcome, but he figured it was for the best.

His cover remained intact.

* * *

Her eyes lazily opened. She felt her head spin as the familiar smell of confinement entered her chest. She watched the ceiling fan above her spun lazily.

"What?" she asked groggily, wondering why she was lying down on a stiff bed.

"Hey," she heard a familiar voice and realized where she was and what had happened.

She shot up from the bed and sent an angry glare at the brunette that sat at the foot of the bed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she shouted at him.

"Good morning to you too," he said, sarcastically.

"Why did you stop me?" she demanded and then added, "Tell me!"

He gave her an annoyed look.

"You should really keep your voice down," he said very calmly, urging her to do the same.

"Sora. Please," she breathed, feeling herself calming down, but the fire in her stomach still burned.

"You weren't thinking. That's what Larxene wanted. For you to be so ticked off that you couldn't even think straight," the brunette explained as he watched the realization dawn on her. Then he surprised her by gaining a guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry, Kairi. About your friend. If you want to blame someone, it should be me. I told you not to listen to Axel when he first told you about her. She'd probably be alive right now."

"Sora," she shook her head. "I don't blame you. I blame myself. I'm suppose to be this... intelligent woman... but I was stupid enough to fall for these tricks. Now, because of that, my best friend is dead."

He looked over at her to see the same guilty look that he had. He could also see that she was on the verge of tears. He let out a sigh. He really hated to see her like this, but he remembered that he promised that he wouldn't guarantee casualties. He couldn't predict her friend getting killed by Kairi's stubbornness to cooperate.

The only thing he could do was to comfort her in her time of need. Opening his arms and having her cry on his shoulder.

* * *

"I'd say 'get a room,' but I think I'm a little late." Riku voice penetrated the silence as he walked in and saw the two lying in the bed, Sora's arm wrapped securely around Kairi's shoulder as she slept. The brunette heard the older man come in as he gently removed himself from Kairi's hold. "So, mind telling me what happened?" the silver haired man asked as Sora walked over to him.

"They took a hostage, in exchange for her cooperation. They killed the hostage," he responded.

"Who was the hostage?"

"According to Kairi, Naminé Trepe. She also worked at the same museum as Kairi, only she does restorations. An artist apparently, and Kairi's best friend."

Riku let out a sigh.

"Her family probably noticed that she disappeared. They won't like it when they find out what happened to her."

"A group like the Organization can make it like she never even existed. But no, her family won't like it at all."

Riku nodded to that. This was one of the reasons why he didn't like this life. Too many people were involved and some wouldn't live past the next day. Friends, family members, colleagues, all gone in a blink of an eye and mostly done by another hand.

"Kairi really hasn't had it easy lately, huh?" he noted, earning a guilty sigh from the brunette.

"I wish I could take it all back."

"Maybe it's for the best," Riku reasoned. "I mean it'll make her stronger."

Sora disagreed.

"She was already strong, it was only her resolve."

* * *

"I've been thinking." Sora looked up from cleaning his gun and checking his ammo when Kairi spoke up. It was the morning after they found out about Naminé from Larxene. The red head was sitting on the bed while looking out the window and had been quiet since she woke up. He figured she needed more time to think and recuperate. That time had obviously passed as she was speaking fluently without conviction. "We should get to Ios as soon as possible. Based on what Riku has told us about Xemnas, we can't let him have that sword." He agreed to that as he waited for her to continue. "Not only that, Naminé's death would be in vain."

"Do you still want revenge on Roxas?" he thought to ask, as she gave him a serious look.

"I want him to pay for what he did. Not by killing, though." Then a smile crossed her lips. "Thank you for stopping me."

He smiled back.

"No problem," he said to her, eyes filled with honesty.

"Do you think they told her anything? About what we're doing?"

"Possibly," he shrugged.

"I dragged her into this."

Sora sighed in frustration.

"Oh for the love of God," he said. "Would you stop blaming yourself for everything? It's getting annoying."

"Well excuse me for having a soul," she shot back.

"I'm only saying that you should blame me," he countered. "I was the one that kidnapped you. I could've just as easily left you behind. So, it's my fault."

Kairi lifted an eyebrow at him. He said it with ease and very casual like. She found it odd as a normal person would sound conflicted and guilty. Not Sora though.

"You seem to be taking it well," she noted as she watched him shrug.

"I'm use to it."

* * *

**A/N:** So sorry that I'm late with this update. As it turns out, my beta reader and I had email problems as she told me that she sent the chapter back to me a month ago and I somehow didn't get it. Weird.

My beta reader also said to me that was this a short chapter and I think this was the regular length as the other chapters. So if you found it short, okay. There is a reason for this. We're approaching the end now! We've got two chapters and an epilogue left! Don't worry, I finished writing them and they are now in the process of being edited by my beta reader! So exciting!

_Special thanks to:_ **tennisdesi91**, **Draco** **Oblivion**, **A** **Midsummer** **Night's** **Dream**, and my beta reader **Half-Human 007** for the support and love for chapter 15!

Other news: Fell in love with _The Legend of Korra_! I love the original and I'm super ecstatic over this new series. Watch episode 4 today and holy crap... so many feels... I love it, I'm a Makorra fan and I'm absolutely sane enough to say that we're only 4 episodes in out 12. We're still in the beginning, people!

Another thing that came up for me is that I'm now on Tumblr! If you're on that site too, go ahead and follow me. I'm zephyrmoon20(.)tumblr(.)com. See my art, my thoughts, my randomness, and whatever that pops up at the moment.

All that said, hope you enjoyed this chapter (despite Kairi's aangst) and that you guys are looking forward to reading these last couple of chapters!

Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!


	17. The Landing

-17-  
The Landing

The tall Master exited a room with a smug grin on his face. His computer hacker, Zexion, had just informed him of the trio's position. They thought that they were clever in hiding out in internet cafés and that their conversations with the old fool, Ansem, wouldn't be traced. As Zexion had explained, any IP address can be traced no matter where you are.

"Nice try, you old fool," he whispered smugly as he turned to the blue haired man that walked beside him. "Saïx."

"Yes, Master?" his number two asked.

"Gather the members. We're relocating."

"To where this time, Master?"

"To the Greek Island of Ios. What we have been looking for is there."

"At once, Master."

He watched Saïx run off to gather the others as he continued to grin.

Everything was coming together.

Everything was in place.

There was no stopping him.

* * *

"Shipped out again? Why don't we ever just stay in one place?" Demyx complained.

"As long as those three are moving, so are we," Xaldin countered as he walked away.

Xigbar stood by them and agreed to the both of them. They needed to follow those three, but it gets tiresome to travel from one place to another. Especially considering how far out in England they resided. Oh well. Whatever the Master wants he will soon get. This should be the last stop in their adventure and it shouldn't take long to kill them and then take advantage of the bounty.

Xigbar then spotted the sandy blond haired man walking down the stairs and before waiting patiently for the orders. The man with the eye patch smirked. It looks like he won't be bored any longer.

"Hey there, killer. Had a good night?" Xigbar directed his question to Roxas and received a cold stare from the blond.

"Leave me alone," he shot back as he stared at a bump on the red carpet.

"What's eating you?" the man with the blond mullet asked.

"Nothing," Roxas replied as he heard Xigbar let out a laugh.

"Yeah, you really shouldn't talk to Demyx. Who cares about a lowly scam artist, am I right?"

"A damn good one at that," Demyx shot back defensively.

Roxas couldn't help but feel intrigued. This could mean something.

"Really?" he asked.

"Uh huh." Demyx's chest puffed up with pride in his voice.

"And you?" Roxas directed his question over to Xigbar with genuine curiosity. The question didn't get past the eye patch.

"Why do you ask?" Xigbar asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Just curious," Roxas shrugged.

Then they heard a pair of footsteps going down the stairs and every single head in the landing turned to see the Superior and his blue haired number two walking down to them.

"Get moving, we're leaving," Saïx announced and every single bag and suitcase filled with guns was picked up and transported them to the black van outside.

"So what's Xigbar's deal?" Roxas asked offhandedly, not really expecting an answer until Demyx opened his mouth.

"Ah, you know how snipers are. Totally private."

Roxas's intrigue peaked again.

"Sniper?" he asked.

"Yup."

Roxas wasn't expecting this. He knew Demyx would be the easiest one to talk to but he didn't want to take advantage of the poor guy. The sandy blonde could only guess that the taller blonde did not get the memo of Roxas being under suspicion. Or he did and thinks that it's a load of garbage. Either way, this would give Roxas the opportunity to find out more about the Organization. He tried to find something within the mansion in the dead of night, but they were good at covering their tracks. They didn't bring a single record with them and they don't talk much about their missions other than reporting straight to Xemnas.

"What about everybody else?" Roxas dared to ask, hoping that the taller blonde wouldn't catch on to his line of thinking. He watched Demyx scratch his chin in thought and then started pointing out the other members.

"Lets see... Larxene's a mercenary. She was actually under Xehanort until he got caught."

"Xehanort? You're kidding," Roxas asked with astonishment.

"Nah. She's got the attitude to back it up," Demyx answered as he continued to list off the remaining members. "Marluxia, he was an assassin. Luxord is a loan shark. Axel was also a mercenary. Saïx is a terrorist, even on the watch list. If you ask me, you can't really miss him. Zexion is a hacker and Vexen is a... what was it? Whatever, he did some illegal experiments."

"That so?" the California kid's intrigue increased.

"Yeah. Those two basically planned everything for this trip and 'have the math to back it up,'" Demyx said as he fashioned air quotes with his fingers. "Who's left now? Oh yeah, Lexaeus and Xaldin are both mercenaries."  
"Interesting. What else can you tell me?"

* * *

"Like this better than a boat," the silver haired man said as he looked out the window beside him. Him and his two friends (well, one of them anyway) were inside a small plane, flying over the Aegean sea towards their destination and every now and then seeing small Greek island. Ansem couldn't provide them with a boat as it seemed too impractical after what happened last time. That left them with Sora to call in a favor, and they were on their way thanks to his pilot.

"You really do hate boats, huh?" Kairi asked, sitting across from Riku and next to Sora.

Riku 'tch'ed in response.

"You saw Xigbar blow that thing up, like that should make me feel _real_ safe."

"Not to mention his cousin made him see Jaws," Sora added in with a smirk, making Kairi laugh.

"A flipped over dingy _and_ Jaws? I wouldn't like boats after that either."

"Ha ha. Laugh all you want," Riku rolled his eyes at the two.

Then everything fell into a comfortable silence, every now and then looking out the window. Kairi would point out which island they had passed and what laid within them. Then she started fidgeting with her necklace as she started to grow anxious.

Sora detected this as he grabbed her hand, bringing her attention to him.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"A little, yeah," she breathed. "I'm excited because of the possibility of a new discovery, but scared of what might come out of it."

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be all right."

"Yeah. You're right," she said as she stared at him.

"All right, I know I'm late and I don't care. But for the love of God, get a room," Riku's voice interrupted, ruining their moment.

"I'm going to use the lavatory," the read head said as she unbuckled her seat belt and went through the bathroom door.

"Go in after her and I'll shoot you," Riku added with a roll of his eyes as he caught Sora staring after her.

"What's your problem?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that you found someone that can actually kick that thick skull of yours, just don't be all lovey dovey in front of me. It's annoying." Sora could see that the silver haired man was only joking around as he watch a smirk trace the older man's face. "By the way, it's good to see you again."

Sora lifted an eyebrow.

"What's that mean?"

"Up until a couple months ago, we haven't seen each other in four years. And now, well I don't know about you, but it feels like the old days. Back when we were friends."

The brunette merely crossed his arms over his chest as he smirked back at Riku.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dick weed."

"Ass wipe."

"We're landing soon!" They turned their attention to the pilot as he announced the landing. They looked out the window and sure enough they could see the island and a small landing strip that was located south of the island.

"Thanks, Cid!" Sora shouted as he saw the aging pilot gave a small back hand wave.

"Where'd you meet this guy anyway?" Riku asked, curiosity entering his mind.

"You wouldn't believe it."

They heard the lavatory door open and watched the red head take her seat beside Sora.

"We're landing soon?" she asked as she watched Sora nod.

"Yup."

"Great," she said as excitement filled her chest. "We should get going as soon as we land."

* * *

"So where's this tomb?" Riku asked as the three were hiking up a stony hill.

"This way," Kairi pointed with her in the lead.

"Have you been there before?" Sora asked, mostly from observing how well she walked up and down the hills and coming across a path or two.

"Once. Ansem and I went after I graduated high school."

"Back pack around Europe?" Riku inquired.

"Asia too. We've sort of made it a tradition after that summer to go to different continents."

"So, have you been to all of them yet?"

"Yes. Except Antarctica."

"Naturally."

Sora wasn't paying all that much attention until he heard a shift of a rock coming from behind them. When he turned to the source, however, he didn't see anyone there.

"Did you hear something?" he asked

"Probably a tourist." He heard Riku respond, but wasn't quite sure.

"Here it is," the red head said as she pointed in front of them, the entrance into Homer's tomb. Made by one stone sitting atop of two others, the doorway was blocked by another large slab.

"Great. So how do we get in?" the brunette asked as he turned to Riku to see the silver haired man's head nodded toward the center slab. Sora let out a sigh as he read his friend's expression. "Fine."

They walked towards the tomb entrance and were prepared to lift one of the slabs before Kairi spoke up.

"Wait." They stopped before they could lift the top and looked at her. "Those weigh at least one ton, the two of you alone wouldn't be able to move it."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Let me have a look." She stepped forward and started examining the entrance. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but she knew from experience that nothing is what it seemed. Then she spotted something in the ground a foot away from the entrance. She wiped away dirt and sand and saw an impression that looked to be the size of her palm. Within the impression there were more smaller holes that haloed around the edge. "Look at this," Kairi called out as they went and looked over her shoulder.

"So what do we do?" Sora asked as the red head went through her duffel bag and found the column piece. She inserted it into the slot and watched as it slowly sunk to the ground. They then felt a rumble beneath their feet and looked to see the center slab slide down into the ground and revealing an entry way.

"Woah. Don't see that everyday," Riku commented as the three started to crouch down and through the three foot tall entrance. A rancid smell hit their noses almost immediately as they went through and when they stood up again, they couldn't believe on what they saw.

"Oh my God!"

"Woah..."

"Geez..."

Bodies. At least twenty bodies scattered throughout the room. Some were lying on their backs towards the front wall, one was sprawled on his back over the stone sarcophagus, and their least favorite were the ones that laid before them. They looked like they were trying to crawl to freedom but only made it half way. Their skin have long dried out and they looked like they were frozen in fear.

"Look at all these guys," Riku said in amazement.

"How did they come to this place?" Sora asked as he tried to step over these poor men along with Kairi.

"Sora." The brunette turned to see the older man already squatted down and examining one of the bodies as he held up one of their guns. "Schmeisser's."

Sora's eyes widened.

"You're kidding."

"What's that?" Sora heard Kairi ask as he also squatted down and examined one of the bodies.

"MP40s. Real old fashion guns. You probably know them as the Tommy gun." He picked up one of the guns that laid before them. It seemed that they were still working but were very low on ammo, until his eyes drifted to the body that laid before him and he caught something that they hadn't before. His eyes widened at the sight of a swastika that was stitched into the man's uniform. "These guys were Nazis."

"I guess the rumor is true then," he heard Riku say.

"That's for sure. Hitler was heavily into the occult. He sent his troops to do all sort of expeditions. Atlantis, the Holy Grail, El Dorado, you name it," Kairi stated.

"A guy like him with a sword that won't let him lose, who knows what the world would have been," Riku said as silence fell into the chamber until Sora spoke.

"These guys, they weren't shot. They were mauled," he said as he managed to grab his two companion's attention.

"Mauled? By what?" he heard Riku ask.

"Not sure, but they got claws."

"Guys, look." The two men turned to see Kairi already standing before the front wall and looking up at the carvings on the wall. It looks like a battle was taking place and right at the center was a large sword. At the center of the sword's hilt was a big diamond that would catch eyes of any treasure thief.

"Woah..."

"Can you imagine what that thing must be worth now," the silver haired man said in amazement.

"And look at this." Kairi pointed to where the sword pointed and the two men saw another hole that was the same size as the one outside, only where there were additional hole, this one had protruding pieces of stone. Tiny ones and a large diamond shape that fit perfectly with the stone piece. The red head searched through her duffel bag and found the coin piece.

She held the piece in her hand and stared intently at it. This was it. As soon as she'll insert the piece, there's no turning back.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she knew who it belonged to.

"It's okay if you want to turn back," she heard Sora say and she took comfort in his reassuring voice.

"No. I want to do this. We can't let them have it," she said with determination.

"And we won't."

She quickly turned her head to glance at the sarcophagus.

"I'm sorry, Homer." She then inserted the coin piece into the socket and watched as it slid into place. The ground started to rumble beneath their feet as they watched the wall before them lower into the ground in segments. They stared in amazement as the wall disappeared, revealing before them a large cavernous room.

Mountains of gold jewelry, coins, clothing, weapons, tapestries, and furniture littered the entire room. It was a treasure hunter's dream come true.

"Look at that..." Riku breathed.

"The treasures of Troy," Kairi stated. "The Greeks must've made this to store the remains from all the raids. So no one would think to look here and try to rebuild from what was left."

"Where do we start looking?"

"We'll have to split up, we'll keep in radio contact if we find something," Sora said as he went through Kairi's duffel bag and took his walkie-talkie out and tossed the other two to them. He then took one of the torches that was hanging by the entrance and Riku did the same. The brunette took out his lighter and lit the torch and passed it on to the older man. He eventually found another torch for Kairi and lit hers as well.

They walked in three different directions and made sure to look at every possible hiding place or even clues that would lead them in the right direction.

Eyes and ears open were Sora's thoughts. Anything could happen and he wanted to be prepared for whatever happens.

Until he heard something shift behind as he quickly took his gun out and pointed in the direction the noise came from, only to find nothing. He didn't like this, it was too quiet, even for a treasure chamber.

"Did you hear something?" Sora asked into his walkie-talkie as he heard static clicking.

"Probably a rat," he heard Riku say and Sora had to shake his head.

"How would a rat get in?"

"How did those Nazi's get in?" Riku countered as a feminine voice broke through the static.

"The pieces were on display for a very long time. The Nazi's must've stolen them. A few of them must've survived if the pieces were back on display afterwards."

"That's another thing, what got to them?" Sora asked with dread, he knew very well that rats didn't have large enough claws to maul those men.

Silence followed as the three continued their search and found no luck. Sora was starting to grow impatient as it seemed that they were in there for way too long.

When he turned a corner, he was surprised to see Kairi, looking forlorn as she held an item in her hand. He walked closer to her and saw that she held a doll in her hands.

"This stuff must've seen some good parties back in the day," he heard Riku say as he watched Kairi jump at his voice, as well as noticing Sora for the first time.

"This must be the result from after the war," she said as she traced a finger over the doll's face, being careful with the torch in her hand.

Sora daringly walked closer to her, seeing that face again. The one she made whenever she was talking about Troy and the people that lived there.

"What's the matter?" he asked her. "You're making that face again. Mind telling me what you're thinking?"

She turned to him with that distant look in her face.

"I was just thinking, the whole place was burned to the ground and only this much survived. But not the people..."

He finally understood on what she meant. Kairi's a compassionate person and feels empathy towards every living thing, even when they've been dead for centuries. But not the people of Troy, they were all murdered over the safety of a single woman's life.

"Hey, these kind of things happen all the time," he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "What was it that you said? The biggest wars are fought over the dumbest reasons?"

"It may be dumb to us, but to them... It was everything."

"Hey, guys!" Riku's voice interrupted their little silence. "Think I found it. I'm towards the center of the cavern."

Sora took the opportunity to climb one of the mountains of treasure to the top and quickly spotted Riku's torch.

"This way," the brunette pointed to their right as he slid down the mountain and he and Kairi were off in that direction.

As soon as they arrived, they saw a descending stone staircase.

"This has to be it," Kairi muttered, taking the lead and ditching her torch as Riku did the same. However, when they reached the bottom, they were standing in the middle of an empty room.

"Well, where is it?" the brunette.

"It looks like there isn't anything here. Dammit."

Kairi wasn't convinced. She knew from experience that, again, nothing is what it seemed to be. Her two companions failed to notice the large statue that stood opposite of the stairs, but she found it odd. It was a thirteen foot statue of a man and he was holding a long sword with writing down the blade. If she had to guess, this was Peleus and he looked angrily down at her. She also noticed how his elbows don't seem to connect to his body and her eyes widened.

"No. This is a puzzle," the red head said, grabbing the men's attention. She then pointed to the sword's blade. "And look- _You have been warned._"

"What does that mean?" the silver haired man asked.

"The key. It's talking about the warning on the key." Kairi turned to the brunette "Sora, could you give me a lift?"

He nodded as she positioned herself before the sword. Sora cupped his hands between his knees as Kairi placed her foot into his hands.

"Ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded. He hoisted her up and watched her climb up to the sword's hilt, moving the statues arms so that they wouldn't be holding the sword anymore.

"Got yourself a smart one this time, huh Sora?" Riku said teasingly to Sora.

"Shut up," the brunette shot back while glaring at the taller man.

"I'm just saying, you've done worse." They then watched Kairi leap off the statue and expertly land before them. Riku let out a low whistle. "How'd you do that?"

"It like a Rubic's Cube. You just have to turn the arms the right way," she answered.

"I just take the stickers off and rearrange them." Kairi sent a glare at the silver haired man as he raised his hands in defense. "Kidding."

Then they felt the ground rumble for the third time that day as the stone sword sunk into the ground and Peleus' body started to split in half. The wall moved to the sides and they were suddenly in another room.

Only this room was a lot more promising.

This room had carvings on the walls and statues in every corner. And The Sword of Peleus laid in the hands of another statue, this time a sad looking woman.

"There it is," the archaeologist breathed as she raced to the statue. It was amazing to look at. The blade was made of iron, no doubts about that, but it looked more majestic as the handle was wrapped in leather. "I can't believe it. It's really the Sword of Peleus."

"And there's the jewel," Riku said as he joined by her side and she felt Sora standing at her other side.

The brunette look oddly down at the red jewel that sat at the sword's hilt. Blood red, it looked smooth to the touch, and whenever he moved the torch, the jewel seemed to shine more.

"Is it me or should that thing look more... I dunno, jewel-like?" he asked.

"I don't think they had precision cuts back then," Riku said with a smug look as Kairi looked at the jewel incredulously.

"No, Sora's right. This is way too smooth for anything back then," she said as she stared at the jewel. Then it dawned on her, the clues, the messages, the warnings, all the pieces were falling into place. "No. This can't be..." she breathed as her chest exploded with dread.

"What is it?" Sora asked, worriedly.

"_Hidden with the eye._ Why didn't I see it before?" her voice was starting to shake.

"Kairi?"

"Tell them, Dr. Farron."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay... where to begin... First off, I'm really sorry about the delay. In case some of you haven't read the Author's Note chapter, I basically apologized for the five month wait and that it was partially my and my beta's fault. So, without getting into too much details, I also asked in the Author's Note chapter for someone to beta read the last few chapters as well as my next story. And luckily for all us, **GreyPurpleBlack** answered the call. So, a huge thanks goes out to her and for correcting my mistakes (I haven't looked at this chapter in months so I could see right away where almost all the mistakes were.)

Anyways, the chapter... Worth the wait? Maybe. But if I were you guys, I'd pay pretty close attention to this chapter and/or maybe reread the entire story and see if you've come to the same conclusion as Kairi. Cookies for you if you figured it out.

_Special thanks to_: **tennisdesi91**, **KurukiXV**, **YTC**, and **Anonymous** **Guest** for leaving your kind words.

So yeah, we're at the final stretch now. One more chapter, an epilogue, and a bonus chapter (where you'll see how much work I put into this story and what was cut) and we're done! The next story will take a while before it's posted. Mainly because I'm three chapters in and I want to wait until I'm about half way through before I put it up.

So, all that said. See you guys in the next chapter!


	18. The Stone

−18−  
The Stone

The voice echoed throughout the room, sending a chill of dread down the three's spines. They slowly turned to the source and saw all thirteen members of the Organization with their leader at the front.

"Xemnas," Riku breathed as realization dawned on him. "Crap. We cleared a path for them."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Xigbar laughed as three members walked behind the trio, made them drop their weapons, and locked their arms behind their backs.

A smug grin crossed the leader's face as he walked up to the red head.

"Now then, Dr. Farron, what is it that you want to say?" Xemnas taunted her as she sent a fierce glare at him.

"It's the Philosopher's Stone," she said, begrudgingly, earning stunned looks from her two companions.

"That's right," the silver haired leader laughed. "Paracelsus, Magnus, Trismegistos, Zosimos, Newton, men who had dreamed of obtaining the most powerful item ever written. The elixir of life, turns water into wine, metal into solid gold, and grants immortality."

"That's why you want it. Get rich and never die," Riku snorted.

Xemnas' evil laugh echoed throughout the chamber.

"Oh, it's much more than that."

"What?" Larxene's shrill voice cut through the air. "You're telling me _now _that you have other intentions than more money?"

"My family has been searching for the stone as long as the legend has been around. The whole purpose for finding the stone was not for mere spoils, but for the power it possesses. The myth states that whoever wields the sword is guaranteed a victory in battle. However, the story never required the wielder's good intentions. It has brought one of the greatest cities of its time down to its knees and filled the streets with blood and anguish," Xemnas paused as he stared greedily at the sword. "Wars will be fought and a new world order will take its place. And that is the true purpose of the Organization."

"You monster!" Kairi shouted while she struggled against her handler, Xaldin's, restraint.

"Shut up," the man with dreadlocks exclaimed as he kicked the back her knees and she fell down.

"Kairi!" Sora shouted as a low growl escaped his throat.

Another low laugh echoed throughout the chamber as Xemnas approached the legendary sword.

"And now, the moment of triumph," he said as he reached for the handle.

"Uh, Xemnas?" The Superior let out a low groan as Demyx's scraggly voice pierced his actions.

"What now?" he asked with irritation.

"I-I-I think there's something out here." Xemnas lifted an eyebrow as he turned to see the lanky member shake in fear while walking down the stairs.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as a high pitched scream echoed that sent fear throughout the area.

"_Not knowing strength destroys oneself,"_ Kairi said as a thought dawned on her. _"However, when in it is faced, do you have such strength?"_

Just as she finished saying it, they heard several dozen steps descending the stairs.

Men – no, creatures with pasty white skin that looked like slime with small beady eyes as black as the darkest depths of the ocean and little slips of cloth covered their bodies. As the creatures roared, they could see tiny sharp teeth that looked like they could tear the flesh right off the bones.

The sounds of gun fire pierced through the creatures' screams, but the bullets, shot by the dozen seemed to have little effect.

"What the-!" The creatures attacked, cutting Vexen off and tearing at him with their sharp claws.

"What the hell are those thing?!" Saïx asked as he was emptying his magazine.

Amidst the chaos, Sora managed wiggle free from his handler and darted towards his red head.

"Kairi, are you okay?" he asked as his hand went to the side of her head, forcing her look up to him.

"I-I'm fine," she said, her voice shaking in fright.

"Great, great, we're all fine, but I think we have bigger problems right now," Riku shouted as he managed to get his gun back and was firing at the white things.

"We have to get out of here," Sora agreed. He grabbed his abandoned gun and Kairi's hand and ran towards the stairs. With the red head and the taller man behind him, he shot at the creatures with everything he had.

They kept on running for a good three minutes before they found a treasure mound that didn't seemed to be occupied by the creatures. They hid behind it to catch their breaths.

"I think we're clear," Sora finally said as the activity seemed to be around the sword chamber.

"This is my fault. We led them here," Kairi said with dread in her voice.

"No, Kairi. This was _definitely_ not your fault."

"Yeah, they would've gotten us at gun point anyway," Riku added after Sora. "So, what were those things?"

"Okay, I have a theory," the red head took a deep breath. "This is probably not the first time someone misused the stone for greedy purposes."

"What do you mean?"

"The riddle says: '_When in it is faced, do you have such strength?'_ I don't think it was talking metaphorically. Peleus was a very greedy and selfish man. He must've used the Stone for his own purposes, ultimately destroying him. The Stone probably brought those things out of him."

"Great, just what we need," Sora groaned.

"Huh?"

"With a guy like Xemnas plus the Philosopher's Stone... He'll be more than just a monster," the silver haired man filled in.

"So what do we do?"

"Me and Sora are gonna go and at least try to destroy it."

"And what about me?"

"You're getting the hell out of here," Sora stated, earning a confused glare from the red head.

"What?"

"Don't even try arguing out of this one, you're getting out of here. That's final."

"You're not the boss of me," Kairi argued.

"I understand that, but... I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, but please... just get out of here. I don't want to think about you possibly lying dead around here, I don't think I can handle that," the brunette added with sincerity. By the look in his eyes, she could see that he meant well with what he was saying.

"Okay," she sighed as she grabbed his hand. "Just promise me that you'll come back."

"Kairi..." He caught the seriousness in her eyes and he knew he lost the argument. "Fine. I promise."

"Sora!" The two men shot up from their spots and pointed their guns to the source. The sandy blond member cut around the corner and ran toward them, stopping in his steps as soon as he saw the guns pointing at him.

"Hold it. I'm not going after you!" Roxas exclaimed as he was catching his breath.

"Sure, and those things are the Easter Bunnies," Riku snorted.

"I'm serious. Those things got everyone."

"Even Xemnas?" Sora asked.

"Everyone except Xemnas. I tried to find him, but he disappeared."

"So what happened with him?"

"Not good. He managed to get the sword."  
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" the silver haired man asked as Roxas let out a frustrated groan.

"Okay, I know you think I did something horrible, but you heard Larxene. Some of us didn't even know what his true intentions were."

Sora gave him a scrutinizing look, trying to figure out what the blond meant by "you think" and whether or not he could be trusted.

"You want to get out of here, Roxas?"

"With my life intact? Of course I do!"

"Then take Dr. Farron and get the hell out of here."

The brunette's companions turned sharply to him with confused looks.

"What?!"

"Sora, you can't be serious."

"Don't worry, if anything happens, Kairi can easily kick his ass," Sora stated as he put his gun away. "Now, go."

"C'mon," Roxas urged. The doctor started toward him but stopped in her tracks.

"Wait. Sora?" She turned back to kiss the brunette. "Be careful."

She ran to the blond and they ran off towards the exit. All the while, the touch of her kiss lingered on Sora's lips.

"She really is something," Riku said.

"Yeah," Sora agreed with determination in his voice. "Let's go."

* * *

Kairi was running. Running with the man that killed her best friend. She couldn't believe it. Why would she? But if it means her survival, she'd gladly do it.

However, just as they reached the exit, a thought struck the doctor. Just as the Philosopher's Stone was brought back to her thoughts, she remembered another piece of the puzzle that was never solved. Her eyes widened and she knew that she needed to go back.

The sandy blond noticed that her steps stopped suddenly; just as he turned, she started to run back and he quickly followed behind.

"Dr. Farron! Wait!" he called out. He was fast enough to catch up to her and grab her wrist. "Where are you going?!"

"I have to tell Sora and Riku something!" she shouted, struggling against his hold. "Let go of me!"

"I can't. Those things will-"

"No! This is important! He has to know! They both have to know!"

"Can it wait?" Roxas groaned.

"No! It's a matter of life and death. Let me go so I can at least try to save them!"

He saw the raw determination in her eyes. He knew that it was useless to argue against her. He was going to regret this.

"If Sora comes back alive, I'm telling him that you got away from me. Then he'll kill me."

She gave him a grateful smile as he let go of her wrist.

"Thank you."

"M'am."

* * *

The two ex-mercenaries reentered the chamber with their guns drawn out and pointing in every direction. Only to find that what Roxas said was true. Bodies of the Organization littered the area with claws and teeth marks etched into their corpses. They counted the bodies and found that only a few members were absent most likely lying somewhere else in the cavern. The Sword of Peleus was missing from it's resting place, along with the leader of the Organization.

"Is he gone?" Sora wondered.

"Don't think so," Riku answered as the brunette gave a low growl of frustration.

"Xemnas! Where are you?!" he shouted up at the ceiling and his voice echoed back.

"Xemnas is gone."

They rapidly turned to the haunting voice and saw the silver haired leader come out of the shadows, the Sword in his left hand and an evil grin tracing his features.

"Has he flipped his lid?" Sora whispered to Riku.

"No. Look at his eyes," the silver haired man whispered back. Sora looked and saw that Xemnas' eyes were blood red instead of orange.

"What happened?" the brunette whispered.

"Sora!"

His heart stopped as he watched the red head descend the stairs. Fury racing through his body as he thought that Kairi was the stupidest woman he has ever met.

"Kairi?! I told you to get out!" he shouted at her. She seemed to ignore him as she looked directly at Xemnas.

"You're not Xemnas, are you?" she asked and a low hum of a laugh sent chills up her spine as 'Xemnas' turned to her.

"I believe this body has said that you are a very intelligent woman."

"What's he talking about?" the brunette asked in a hushed voice.

"There were many accounts about your death, and now I see why." Kairi shot the man a knowing glare. "You're not dead. Are you, Peleus?"

A roar of laughter echoed throughout the chamber, making their hearts stop in fear.

"You really are an intelligent woman." The silver haired maniac turned fully to the sole woman. "Indeed, my name is Peleus. The Philosopher's Stone brought the darkness within to the surface, so much that I could no longer keep my body. My minions, as you have already seen, used to be at my side. They were as alive as you and I and craved for the Stone's power. Battle after battle we have fought and won them all, unknowing of the truth that lay within. The Stone consumed us, so much so that we could no longer know what was happening. I have taken many souls without a regret and yet, I was punished by Zeus for my greed. My body was stolen from me while my sanity stayed behind."

"Then Eris must've stolen your sword. So that you could never inflict any more pain."

'Peleus' scoffed.

"Eris was never involved. Rather my own spiteful wife. Thetis never loved me, she tried time and again to kill me and our son but was never successful. After my body was stolen, Thetis took my sword, hidden it in this chamber, and devised clues to keep the curious at bay."

"But Eris's name-"

"Thetis placed her name to throw off her trail," 'Peleus' spat as the doctor looked on horrified. "Kairi Farron. That is your name?"

"Yes," Kairi nodded.

"When I claimed this body, I inherited his memories. The one you call Xemnas, was the one that brought you here."

"What are you talking about?!" she shouted as her eyebrows knitted together.

"He sent you the first artifact that lead you to my sword. He knew you would be able to figure it out and lead him to the next clue and then the next."

Kairi's body shook at the revelation. Everything that happened, everything that she was put through, all came crashing down in her head.

"So... this... this is..."

"Kairi, this is not your fault!" she heard Sora's voice shout.

"I wasn't going to say it's my fault." She shot an intense glare at the possessed man. "This is Xemnas's fault!"

"Indeed it is, but you will not have to worry of him."

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, still training his gun on the figure.

"As soon as I claimed this body, his thoughts, his feelings, everything that was him is dead."

"Kairi, get out of here!" Sora shouted again as they watched 'Peleus' lift his sword. Low growls and high pitch screams sounded off in the distance.

"I'm in this to the end, I'm not going anywhere," Kairi refused, watching the creatures crawl out of holes near the ceiling and climb down to them.

"I'm with Sora. You have to get out of here," Riku said as he started shooting at the ugly creatures.

"Do you honestly think- Ah!" Before she could finish her sentence, Sora had raced toward her, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Now, after all these years, I will finish what I have started," 'Peleus' started laughing. "Send my fellow soldiers out into the world and I will have my vengeance on Zeus and all the other Gods that placed me in this prison."

Sora raced up the stairs and ungracefully dropped Kairi on her butt.

"Kairi! Go!" He shouted at her as he turned around and ran down the steps. As he was descending, he saw a crumbling pillar that was waiting to fall down.

"Sora!" she shouted and was no doubt following behind him. He sucked in a breath, shot his gun at the pillar, and ran as fast as he could into the chamber.

Kairi watched the pillar come down along with everything that it supported, creating a cloud of dust. At least five hundred pounds of rubble covered the entry way into the chamber. "Sora! SORA!" she shouted. Without a thought, she started to dig through the rubble until she heard the low growls. She grunted when she realized that she needed to get out. "You have to come back, Sora," she whispered, and she started running.

* * *

"That was not a very smart move, now you are trapped with me and my soldiers."

Sora glowered at the possessed man as he took his position beside Riku.

"So, do you have a plan?" the silvered hair man asked.

"Aim for the Stone," Sora simply said as a smirk graced Riku's face.

"Finally, years of target practice are going to pay off."

They split up and found covered spots from the fallen rubble. Their shots were immediately deflected by the shield 'Peleus' formed around him. One bullet even ricocheted back to Sora and grazed his left cheek, leaving behind a trail of blood and most likely a scar that would never heal.

"Very impressive weapons you have, but they are no match to mine," the demigod taunted as he brought the sword down and stabbed the ground, creating a large crevice that grew larger by the second. The two mortal men jumped to opposite sides of the room and continued firing. When one of them ran out of bullets, they picked up a new gun from a dead Organization member.

They figured out very fast that bullets would not work on this monster. They needed a plan and they needed it now. Sora and Riku exchanged glances and Riku saw the brunette's lips mouth the word 'beta'.

Maneuver Beta. A simple plan, but very effective. He nodded off as he got into position before the possessed man.

"Hey, ugly! Is that the best you got? I thought the sword was suppose to guarantee a victory in battle, so why am I still alive?!" the silver haired man shouted, earning a taunting glare from the monster.

"If you wish to die soon, then I will grant you that wish!" 'Peleus' lifted the sword again and the stone started to glow a malevolent red. He swung the sword and lightning shot straight for Riku's chest. The silver haired man jumped out of the way and was only slightly dazed. He had never come across anything like it before and he certainly wouldn't want to do it again – that is if he can make it out of there alive in the first place.

Just as 'Peleus' was charging another lightning blast, one that would finish off the annoying young man, he felt the sword being ripped from his hand. He saw the shorter brunette jump down before him and managed to kick the sword from his grasp. The monster merely laughed as he realized what their plan was and scoffed at the idea.

"If you think separating me from my sword is going to help, you are sadly mistaken," he boomed as he lifted his hand. The sword on the ground started to rattle. 'Peleus' was summoning his sword back! The brunette had to do something fast, and an idea struck him. He ran toward the sword, he grabbed the handle, and raced forward towards the monster. The demigod anticipated the move, dodging and looked angrily at Sora.

"No one uses my blade!" he shouted as he tried to get the blade out of Sora's hands, but the mercenary held on tight and made another swing at the monster.

"Hey, Peleus!" Riku called out, his gun directed at the creature. The possessed man turned to the silver haired man and Sora stabbed 'Peleus' through his stomach.

The whole room fell silent as blood started to drip down the sword's blade. It was an amazing and yet terrifying sight. 'Peleus's face paled, Sora fiercely looking straight into the monster's eyes.

"... N... N... No..." 'Peleus' stammered as the brunette dug the blade further in.

"It's over," he whispered harshly. He pulled the sword out and watched as the possessed man fell to his knees, blood spouting from his mouth and blankly staring eyes reverting to Xemnas' orange color. His body crumbled before falling down the crevice that he created with the sword. Sora dropped the sword into the crevice after him.

Something that powerful shouldn't be in this world.

Suddenly, roars echoed throughout the chamber. The two men had nearly forgotten about the white creatures that were crawling down the walls. It seemed that they waited until the battle was over before crawling down to either eat their corpses or kill the two themselves.

There was nowhere to go and nowhere to run. Sora sighed in defeat as he realized that this was his end. He wasn't going back to the world above and he was never going to see Kairi again.

He could only hope that she would move on and never think about this horrifying adventure.

"Sora! Over here!"

He heard Riku's voice, turned to the source, and a grin crossed his face.

* * *

Breathing heavily, Kairi stumbled out of the entrance and was immediately caught in the sandy blond's arms. She breathed heavily as she turned back to the entrance and waited in anticipation for anyone to come crawling out.

"They made it out," Roxas assured her, and she sent a sideways glare at him.

"For your sake, I hope you're right."

Then she heard the sounds of speed boats' roaring engines coming to a halt and footsteps racing up to their positions. She looked on in confusion as men and women ran up to them and she recognized the Interpol uniforms. She was even more surprised when she saw her grandfather walk calmly up to them with a smile on his face.

"Ah, Detective Almesy. So nice to see you again," Ansem said as he stuck his hand out to the sandy blond.

"The same," Roxas replied back, shaking the older man's hand.

Kairi looked on in confusion, looking back and forth between the two men as if her head was spinning.

"Ansem? Detective? What's going on?" she asked as she watched that all knowing grin grace her grandfather's face.

"Kairi, I would like to introduce you to someone," he announced with formality.

"Detective Roxas Almesy of LAPD. Homicide Division. Ansem here hired me to keep an eye on the Organization," the young blond said as the doctor stumbled in her step.

"What?"

"Remember the informant that I have mentioned?"

She gave him an incredulous look.

"Him?!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't condescend me, ma'm," Roxas said with patience.

"But Naminé-"

"Is safe," he interrupted, earning a confused look from the doctor. "She wasn't killed. I sent her on a private jet and she is in a safe house as we speak." She stared at him for a while, trying to soak in his words. He shook his head as he watched the wheels turn in her head. "I can see that you don't believe me, so here's proof."

He removed a wallet his front pocket and displayed his LAPD badge.

"So all this time-"

"I've been acting as an undercover agent. It wasn't until this case that I've finally warranted an arrest to the surviving members. I would say they've done enough crimes that would convince a judge," Roxas explained as he put his wallet back into his pocket.

She let out a sigh of relief. Another agent approached and gave her a steaming cup of coffee as well as a blanket over her shoulders. That was good; she needed it. She was extremely happy to finally find out that her best friend was still alive and was grateful to the man before her for keeping Naminé safe.

A thought dawned on the red head as she turned back to the entrance and a new concern crossed her mind.

"But Sora..." she trailed off and heard Roxas sigh behind her.

"If he and Riku come out of this alive, I've got no choice," he told her. "I'm sorry, Doctor Farron. I know how much you care about him, but as soon as he hits US waters, we have to take him in."

* * *

**A/N:** Has your heart stopped beating yet? Can you believe everything that has happened? So with the epilogue coming up, how will this story end? Happy? Bittersweet? Nothing? You're just going to have to wait and find out (which won't be that long!)

_Special thanks to:_ **Greypurpleblack** for beta-ing this chapter, **Rivendell101**, **Gohan Roxas**, and **tennisdesi19** for your lovely reviews. :) As well as anyone else that has added this story to your alerts and those that just read this in general. You guys are beyond awesome and I thank you very much for sticking with me this whole time. I can't wait for your feedback and I'm excited to share with you guys the final chapter, the epilogue, of this story and the bonus chapter to come.

Until next time!


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

Her heels clicked with the stone beneath them as a brisk chill bit at her face. She looked up to see the leaves had already changed to an orange color and started their descent to the ground. Smiling, she watched students crowding around the university campus, hanging out with friends or lovers, having a general good time without a care in the world.

Kairi missed this kind of atmosphere after she graduated, and when she received the call about a teaching position at her old university, she couldn't pass up the chance.

She almost sighed contently as the events of the last six months replayed in her head. She almost couldn't believe it: after everything she was put through in those two short months, the red head was able to go back to having a normal life. The therapy sessions were long and tedious but were necessary to be able to go back to work at the museum.

Kairi's disappearance didn't go unnoticed; there had been search parties for her, and her sudden reappearance made every headline on TV, newspaper, and the internet. Reporters kept pestering on about what happened and how it was that she could return with the assistance of a Californian police officer. Because she was certain that everyone was going to think that she was mentally unstable and needed to be escorted to the nearest mental institution, she didn't want to make her journey known to the public. Instead, the red head always answered vaguely, but offered enough to satiate their tastes. She left out the parts about her search for a mythological sword as well as being kidnapped by a mercenary.

Kairi had walked off campus and down to the little café where she sat outside with a hot mug of tea and her students' papers to grade.

The two month therapy sessions were border line annoying as the doctor kept asking her to retell her relationship with "that brown haired murderer," as he was called. Kairi understood the concern – under any normal circumstance, she would think she had Stockholm Syndrome too. But that wasn't the case, she knew her feelings were genuine and that she really did fall in love with Sora. It was crazy and it wasn't suppose to happen, but her heart knew otherwise. She kept fighting it down, but it was useless.

Another sigh escaped as she read her student's paper about the Egyptian Pharaohs that had changed everything about religion.

She had a call the previous day from her blond best friend, telling her how beautiful California was and how she was feeling more inspired than she ever had before. When Kairi asked about the new boyfriend, she could imagine the blush that would stand out on her friend's face. Naminé had moved to The Golden State one month after the horrible ordeal with the Organization. She'd kept contact with Roxas and thought it would be best to try her luck out at L.A. Roxas was surprisingly supportive and helped her getting settled in the new city. It was inevitable that they would start dating. As for Roxas, he ended up turning down Ansem's offer to become an Interpol agent. However, when the L.A.'s FBI office called and offered him a job, he revealed that becoming an agent of the FBI was his dream job.

Kairi gave her best friend her very best and wish them luck in the future.

She finished grading the last paper and put the stack of papers back into her bag, overall impressed with her students. Every one of them showed an enthusiasm for archeology and she could see a few of them working out in the field. It brought a smile to her face knowing that she inspired others to follow her footsteps. She took a magazine out of her bag and thumbed through until she found the article that had caught her attention.

After the ordeal with the Organization, Kairi had received an email from Xion; they discussed about their discovery of the _Argo _and the both of them knew that the ship couldn't be left alone. The red head had decided to give the credit to Xion. After all, she did see it first. Kairi read the article about her friend and the discoveries that they'd made at the site. According to the article, it appeared the ship went down during a battle and survivors must've swam to shore. She couldn't wait to go home and email Xion about it.

She leaned back in her seat as another gust of wind picked up and picked at her face. The tea was doing wonders with the hollow feeling in her chest. She remembered asking Xion whether or not she heard from Riku or even Sora, and the raven haired woman answered that she hasn't. They died in that cavern and possibly saved the world from the hands of a tyrannical maniac (who was possessed, she added quickly.) She was proud that'd they sacrificed themselves, but it was at the cost of her happiness. She spent many nights crying herself to sleep and waking up from another nightmare. It took awhile, but the therapy did help make things a little easier with accepting the facts. The empty feeling still remained, and she knew that only one spiky-haired brunette could only fill it.

"Is this seat taken?" the voice penetrated her thoughts, making Kairi jump. It was too sudden for her liking, but a chill went up her neck when she realized that the voice actually sounded familiar. She looked and her breath immediately left her. She watched with wide eyes as the tall brunette man with stormy blue eyes sat next to her.

She sat in silence as she stared at Sora, wondering if this man was a ghost or a sick joke that's waiting to be revealed.

He laughed as he watched her expression go from confusion, surprise, shock, and finally happiness.

"Oh my God!" she breathed as he stared at her with admiration "What are you doing here? I thought-" he interrupted her line of questions by stealing her lips and gave her a smug look.

"I'm happy to see you too," he teased as he pulled away and sat back down in his seat.

It took every bit of her resistance to fight back the urge to kiss him again.

"What happened?" the words slipped out of her mouth without her permission.

"You really want to know?" he laughed as she eagerly nodded. "Okay okay. After you left, Riku and I had our showdown with Xemnas or Peleus, whichever you want to call him. After we took care of him, those white things were ready to attack us, but Riku found that the Organization had brought grenades and C4 with them. We used that to blow up the entrance to the chamber and found a side entrance to the tomb itself."

Kairi gave a thoughtful look. "Side tunnels... of course. A cavern that huge, there had to be emergency exits."

"Mhm, and when we got out, we sealed the entrance with the explosives, commandeered a boat, and sail into the sunset."

She let the details sick in for a moment. She was happy that he and Riku survived and was ecstatic that Sora was sitting right next to her. However...

"So why did it take you so long to find me?" she asked quietly. "You do know that you're not allowed back here."

"You're worried about my status?" She gave him an annoyed glare; his tone suggested that he wasn't worried at all. "Well, a certain rich birdie told the cops to look for a Tidus Caelum for all the crimes he's committed in the last few years."

She launched from her seat and grabbed Sora's face for a passionate kiss. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his and peered into his stormy blue eyes.

"Thank God. I really thought I would never see you again."

Sora grinned affectionately.

"And I'm here to stay."

* * *

**A/N:** That is it! The end of the story! Wow. I actually can't believe that I've actually made it to this point with it. It started in 2009 and it finally comes to an end in 2012 (well... late 2011 really...) and I also have to say that I had a blast with this. When I started this story, it was test myself to write something that is so heavily character driven and to see whether or not I could do it. And as it turns out, I could and it was a great experience.

_Special thanks to_: **GreyPurpleBlack** for beta-ing this chapter and accepting the offer of beta-ing my next story. And I'm not just going to thank the reviewers, but everyone that added this story to their watch lists and fav-ing it. So thank you so much **17CaliforniaKing, Alecdot, alwaysthet0ne0fsurprise, Akitsuki Akira, AmethystFeather, Angelic Bliss, arxas, ash-nobody, Aurtus, Bic-Ball-Point-Pen, Bladicus, Burai Stelar, CapriciousXXIISerenader, Clogallie, DorycianAngel1944, Don't Shoot the Puppy, DouglassWolf, Draconic, Dragginninja, Eppsilon7, Gabriel666, Gohan Roxas, halfasianhito, HeartsTrial, Heaven's Silver Mirror, Kairi9898, KaUiA, kkenny, Kts362, magic bounce, MagixSxientixt24, Marionette of Ancient Relics, Mr. Eclipse, noheartx, Penomenon45, Redeeming Endeavor, Rivendell101, RoseOfADifferentColor, Scarlett-95, Shadow Horizons, Shadowred, ShoutingGirl, SoraofSuburbia, Southern Jaguar94, Stardust897, Stonekipsta, swimspartan19, tennisdesi91, thatguy35, Ultimaflare0, **and** zombiekilla123! **The fact that you guys read this story at all is enough for me to feel all special inside. And that guys also saw something that you liked about this story and enjoy every moment of it really makes me smile. I'm not much of a review-whore so I don't force you guys to leave a review (only if you wanted to.)

So yeah, with all that said. Thank you guys so much for all the fun and I hope to see guys again at my next story!

I'm going to post a bonus chapter after this so be sure to look out for it in your inboxes!

Oh! And a quick plug: be sure to check out my Tumblr page (link in my profile) for all the other stuff I got going on and maybe a sneak peek or two of my next writing project.

Until next time!


	20. Bonus Chapter

Bonus Chapter

Hey one and all!

Here's the Bonus Chapter that I talked about. Think of this as a 'behind-the-scenes' feature you find in DVD's. Meaning this chapter is dedicated to bonus content with details, dialogue, and scenes that had to be cut because they didn't fit with the story or made a mess of things and what I have given to the final piece that you have just read (and why it took such a long time to create.)

I'll do it chapter by chapter as well as extras bit that exists outside the story.

Caelum: The Red Eye

- Initially, I had no idea what to call this story. I was struggling for a long time to think of the title. Let me tell you though, I went through so many that I don't even remember half of it. Until I got to the part where they went to Italy and I was doing research on the catacombs there that I tried some Latin words. Until I finally came to 'Caelum.' Which means 'sky' in Latin.

–1–  
The Capture

- The chapter was initially called 'Capture.' I didn't think ahead to when I use 'The' in every chapter title. Let me tell you though, it was so much easier doing it this way.

- Lets start with the quote. I tried to find something that was fitting the story but I couldn't find anything. I initially had a Christopher Columbus quote but then I changed it to something that Walt himself had said.

"_We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."_

_- Walt Disney_

The reason why I changed it was because it didn't feel right. So then, half way through another story, I thought "Homer's mentioned in the story!" So I went to look for a quote from him and there you have the final quote that set the whole story up.

- The beginning where Kairi and Naminé were talking about the museum break-ins', it was originally Olette that Kairi was talking to. And then I changed her to Xion and finally, Naminé.

- Kairi's original profession was not only an archeologist, but she was also a cultural anthropologist. That was the only mention of that in the entire story and I thought it was a little too much. So that was cut.

- The puzzle itself, it was completely different than what you have read in the story. It looked a little like the phurba dagger from 'Uncharted 2' only made out of stone and more key like. The image of Thetis still remained the same though.

–2–  
The Rival

- One of you guys asked me about the hunter's knife that Sora gave her to pick that triangle out of the column after he "acquired" it, it was originally still held in the kitchen so that's why she was asking for a dinner knife. I added in the hunter's knife just for laughs. XP

- When the sword was finally revealed, I was actually thinking about switching it to the Keyblade. But by then, I had already set the idea down and it would've been a pain in the ass to change otherwise. Not to mention creating my own legend with the Keyblade and I was literally drawing blanks on that. I know I probably would have thought of something anyhow, but too much hard work was already put into it.

- The false name that Sora chose in front of Ansem, I also had a hard time choosing that one. Mostly because that's where I got the idea of Caelum being a false name for Sora. But as I continued with the story and giving Riku and Kairi false names, I decided to go with one of my favorite Final Fantasy game.

- The statue was going to be a vase where they were gonna stick the original key inside... Yeah... I didn't think ahead to how that was going to be possible, so I changed it to the lion statue.

- Their first kiss. That was originally there and time and again I thought about changing it to a hug, but that doesn't cover up Sora's entire face as a kiss does. That was the whole point of it, it was my evil imagination that decided to take it further into the story.

- Riku's last name was originally going to be Kinneas. But then I thought, 'lets stick to XIII with the trio.' Riku didn't look like a Kahtzroy to me, so what's better than Estheim for him? Riku and Hope even have the same hair color! You can't get anything better than that.

Sora: _Geez, she's working herself to the bone._

- I was going to add more SoKai fluff at the end of the chapter (with the line above) but the way that I imagined it was that she was in the living room rather than her room and Sora then places a blanket over her. I thought it was too early for that sort of thing so I cut it out.

–3–  
The Outing

- The beginning where Sora was channel surfing, the lines above it were a last minute add in. The first line, you guessed it, was something you'd find normally on any news channel. The second was from my favorite TV show, _Bones_, which partially inspired this story. I always found that line and the continuing conversation to be absolutely hilarious. So I added it in. The third's also obvious and very well known lines from Philoctetes in the movie, _Hercules_. Hey, this story surrounds itself around Greek mythology, why not include the one Disney movie that's based on it as well?

- To be perfectly honest, I debated whether or not I should mention Oxford in the story. But then I thought: 'they're in England and there would be no doubts that Kairi had connections there.' And I needed Naminé to come in at some point so she could get kidnapped. So it stayed even though the time there was brief.

–4–  
The Kunai

- The biggest question I had with this chapter was: 'Where the hell am I going to put that kunai?' For real. That was the top concern. I had that dumb thing put up in all sorts of places. The wall, the bed, the chair, etc. It eventually ended up on the floor where it would be in line with Kairi's head.

- Larxene. A lot is to be said about her. Whether or not it should be her real name, if she had a relationship with Sora, so on and so forth. In the end, I really like how she turned out and she just adds that bitchy flavor to the story. Not to mention the interaction between her and Kairi later on. It's just so fun. XD

–5–  
The Riddle

- That god damned poem... I had a lot of versions of that thing. Including a WHOLE PAGE of writing and crossing and hacking and whatever massacre you can think of. As I continued with the story and still made changes, I thought it best to go with what I had and added in a SINGLE WORD to set everything up for later. Not to mention some last minute research I had to do for the dialogue between Sora and Kairi. I think it payed off in the end.

–6–  
The Ember

- Kairi had a long explanation about the map, but that was cut mainly because it didn't make any sense. Therefore, Sora (as well as me) got really annoyed.

- I was really struggling with the map itself. It was partially inspired by Uncharted 2's map in which the rock formations were shifting to create the entry way to Shambala. I always thought that was the coolest thing in the game and it helped lend a hand to the story. So thanks Naughty Dog!

- Just before Riku reveals himself to the Organization, I originally had him fire a gun shot as a source of distraction. I later felt it was unnecessary when he came in so I took it out.

–9–  
The Escape

"Huh. That is smart. Good thing it's not like that anymore."

"That so?"

"The police have toughen up since nine-eleven." He made an agreeing sound.

"That's true. Made my job a lot harder."

Knowing full well of where the conversation was heading, Kairi thought to take the plunge and ask.

"So, where were you when it happened?"

He thought about it. Thinking back on that day and how it had impacted him. Reliving the feeling of when he first received the news a couple days after it had happened. The anger. The confusion. The reaction.

"Brazil," he responded very deadpan.

"Wow. It must've been hard for you."

"Yeah it hit home for me."

He had only gone to a village on a supply run. Right on the border with Venezuela so his Spanish was good enough to eavesdrop on a group who were listening to the radio. He didn't know what to feel at first. Anger that the terrorists targeted his home state and an unfamiliar feeling that to this day he still didn't know what it was and had long given up in trying to identify it. Then he remembered reporting to his mentor on what had happened and the sick feeling of seeing his wicked smile. He could only laugh at the memory.

"What?" Kairi asked, bringing him out of his trip down memory. He looked at her and shook his head.

"Nothing. I was just remembering Xehanort's reaction of when it happened."

"Do I want to know?" He could see the disgusted look and the chills already creeping up her arms.

"No. It was terrible," he responded, but knowing her inward curiosity, he answered, "Called the terrorists heroes. Wanted us to learn from their example."

She made a disgusted sound and he actually watched her pale. He asked her if she was all right and she firmly nodded.

- After I had put chapter 8 up on , I thought long and hard about this scene. Did it belong in the story? Does it have too much of a real world connection? Is it even relevant? In the end, I decided to cut it out and replace it with a new scene that had just as much of an effect.

–10–  
The Tunnels

- You want to know something funny? In the beginning scene, I had completely forgotten that Demyx was there. I know. Brilliant. But I quickly fixed that.

Sora: "What?"  
Kairi: "You two are way too use to this."

- This was suppose to be after the three started running in the tunnels as a comedic moment, but it didn't sound that great.

Larxene: "C'mon, I know you're down here."

- This was also gonna be a section in the chapter, right after the quote above. Where Larxene finds the candy wrapper a little later, right after the three started running. But it didn't seem to transition that well so I scrapped the idea.

Sora: "Stay with me, Kairi."

- That went without saying, so I cut it out.

Sora: "That was short lived."

- I planned on an awkward moment between him and Kairi in that crevice where they were so tightly squeezed that they _had_ to look at each other. But after the gun shot, it just seemed kind of stupid and unnecessary. Especially with the gravity of the situation.

Sora: "Freedom!"  
Riku: "So, where's our ride?"  
Kairi: "We came here a day early."  
Riku: "Off to the hotel then. Sora!" (Sora turns to them) "We're off."

- I had this tucked away between Axel being ordered in to the hole and him finding Larxene. Looking it over, it was another thing that was unnecessary.

Wow. Cut a lot out of this chapter, huh?

–11–  
The Detective

Riku: "You're an idiot, Sora."  
Kairi: "I'm with Riku on this one."  
Sora: "Fine, I'm an idiot. But that's one member we shouldn't worry about now."  
Kairi: "Sora? Does this also mean that you've..."  
Sora: "I'm in this to the end."  
Riku: "Well, so much for getting paid. Huh, Sora?"  
Sora: "Shut up."

- This scene was after Sora killed Marluxia and he had to go back to the hotel and inform the other two of what had happened. Another scene that didn't seem necessary and can be easily summarized.

- The scene with the gun fight on the boat, last minute add-in. I realized that I didn't put enough action scenes into the story, so I added that in to add a little epic-ness to it. I had to rewrite the next chapter a bit so that it started off where Sora, Riku, and Kairi left off.

–12–  
The Diver

Sora: "Found anything?"  
Kairi: "Nothing."  
Xion: "This is not good. We only have one dive left."  
Sora: "Can't you just reapply or something?"  
Xion: "Yeah, I can. But that would take months."  
Kairi: "But at least we eliminated another location. We should be able to find something tomorrow."  
Riku: "And if we don't?"  
Xion: "Basically, we're screwed."

- I realized that this scene can be summarized so I cut it out.

–14–  
The War

- The following scene was suppose to take place after Sora and Kairi's little heart to heart. Then they would kiss and get all intense and eventually fell onto the bed. This little piece of dialogue happened afterward.

Sora: (getting dressed) "That was..."  
Kairi: "Yeah."  
Sora: "It wasn't suppose to happen."  
Kairi: "Well, it did."  
Sora: "Why do you sound so happy?"  
Kairi: "Because I wanted it to happen." (she turns to him) "I really like you, Sora. And don't say you don't like me."  
Sora: "I won't. Mostly because I can't." (bluntly) "I know I'm attracted to you, but..."  
Kairi: "Let me guess, your past."  
Sora: "I've killed a lot of people, Kairi. That's not an excuse."  
Kairi: "No, it's not." (she places her hand on his.) "But I believe in second chances."  
Sora: "I'm probably on my fifth now."  
Kairi: "People are capable of changing. And you have changed a lot since we met."  
Sora: "That's bullshit."  
Kairi: "I mean it." (she looks stubbornly at him) "I didn't want to be with that jackass. Now I want to be with you."  
Sora: "I still say you're insane."  
Kairi: "Fine by me."  
Riku: (knocking) "Hey! You done in there?!"  
Kairi: "Riku?"  
Sora: (grunting) "Now I know why he left us alone for so long."  
Kairi: "Come in, Riku!"  
Riku: "Finally. Been waiting forever." (he sits down) "First, congratulations."  
Kairi: "On what?"  
Riku: "Please, the guy at the desk could hear you."

- I thought this chapter would be lucky enough to not have anything cut, guess I was wrong. Anyhow, I've been debating on and off and on and off on whether or not I should put a little "lime" into the chapter. As I progressed through the story and took in Sora's development, I realized that that scene would be out of place and was never mentioned again. So, it was cut.

–15–  
The Kill

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!  
Riku: "What the-" (Goes to window) "What's going on?"  
Sora: "We've gotta go, now!"  
Riku: "What? Why?"  
Sora: "They found us."  
Riku: "On it."

- This was put after they were found by Axel. Sounds stupid, huh? Not to mention that it can be summarized. :P

–16–  
The Blame

- I changed a line for Larxene as it didn't really flow well with the rest of the dialogue:

Larxene: And I see you brought the killer with you. How sweet.

- I didn't think this was intimidating enough so I changed it to something that worked for the rest of the dialogue.

–17–  
The Landing

Roxas: This one time I had to break up a bank robbery. The guy took a lot of people hostage. Even killed one or two.  
Demyx: So, what'd you do?  
Roxas: Basically, I had to talk him out of it. Even negotiated a deal. But he was a total asshole and didn't fall for any of it. SWAT team showed up and I was forced to work with them.  
Demyx: Forced?  
Xigbar: Cops and SWAT don't really get along. Two totally different rules. Am I right?  
Roxas: Pretty much. Anyhow, it took a lot of convincing but I finally managed to get into the bank and talk to the guy personally. Learned more about him, where he grew up, family, that sort of deal.  
Demyx: And?  
Roxas: He had a sister, she was dying and he couldn't afford it. I managed to convince him to turn himself in because his sister probably wouldn't want him doing something like that.  
Demyx: And what'd you tell him?  
Roxas: I told him that LAPD would pay for her hospital stay and whatever surgery she needed.  
Xigbar: Nice con, killer. Didn't think you had it in you.  
Roxas: Yeah...  
Xigbar: Well, as much as I love sharing thrilling stories, but I think it's time we should get going. And speak of the devil.

- This scene takes place during Roxas's little chit chat with Demyx and Xigbar. At the time I thought he needed to tell this story to gain the trust of the other two so they could tell him more about what they did in the past. In the end, I figured out that this story doesn't accomplish anything and it was best to take it out. Not to mention Demyx was WAY too trusting to begin with. Seriously, he just spilled the beans right then and there! Not the sharpest tool in the shed, huh?

- I also had a dance choreography with the torches. Those things were everywhere and in every position possible.

–18–  
The Stone

Sora: "I hope you're happy, Roxas!"

- This was put in early in the development. I had other ideas where Roxas would be playing two sides, (one of you guys thought that too) but in the end, it didn't work out and here is the only place where it found a home.

* * *

So now you see how much hard work I put into this story and I hope you have a better understanding of how I came to this and what I had to do to make it one of a kind. Thank you so much for reading this and I hope to share more with you guys soon!


	21. Preview

The adventure continues

…

Caelum II  
~The Treasures of Light~

…

His past has come back to haunt him.  
In order to protect the ones he holds dear,  
he has to retrieve not one,  
but three items long thought to have  
been lost.

…


	22. Dedication

_This story is dedicated to  
__Dondi M. Bethea  
_"_Dmajorboss"_

_December 16, 1984 – May 6, 2013_

_Without him, this story would not be what it is now._

_Rest in peace, my friend._


End file.
